Bless the broken road
by Faberrittanainthetardis
Summary: Joey returns to Summer bay but can't bring herself to forgive Charlie. That changes when Charlie is attacked however what will happen when Charlie can't remember anything? JARLIE fic
1. Chapter 1

_Hey, This is my first Joey/Charlie fan fic so I hope it's okay :) Reviews to let me know if you guys like it would be greatly appreciated!_

_Oh and the song title is taken from the rascal flatts song 'Bless the broken road' (Awesome song): _

Chapter 1 

"Charlie!" Ruby exclaimed loudly as she pounded on the door to her sister's bedroom. It was pulled open a moment later to reveal Charlie standing in front of her, her hair a mess and eyes bloodshot.

"What?" the older girl groaned as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Have you been drinking?" Ruby questioned in concern as she attempted to look beyond her sister's doorway.

"No" Charlie responded a bit too quickly for Ruby to believe her.

"Charlie..." Ruby sighed wearily. She swiped a hand over her eyes before a look of resolve settled over her features and she gently pushed Charlie back into the room.

"What are you doing?" Charlie asked in annoyance as she found herself being moved to sit on the bed.

"We need to talk" Ruby answered as she pulled the curtains of her sisters' window open.

Charlie groaned as she slumped backwards on the bed and placed her arm protectively over her eyes "Don't you know that the sun is bad for you?"

"Charlie" Ruby murmured quietly as she moved to sit next to her sister on the bed. Charlie moved her arm from her eyes to look at her sister but made no other movement.

"I'm worried about you" the younger girl confessed quietly as she took Charlie's hand "I'm REALLY worried"

Charlie sighed and sat up slightly in an attempt to appear more in control "You don't have to be...I'm fine!"

"You're not fine!" Ruby exclaimed with such ferocity that it surprised both herself and Charlie for a moment "You're not...Not since Joey left...Just TALK to me Charlz"

"I can't" Charlie stated adamantly, shaking her head.

"Why?" Ruby asked in defeat "You know you can talk to me about anything..."

"It hurts" Charlie stated unable to hide the tears which were audible in her voice "It HURTS to talk...It hurts to breathe knowing that I pushed her away. I screwed up the best thing that's ever happened to me Rubz!"

"Charlie..." Ruby whispered sadly as she reached out for her sister.

"Stop!" Charlie exclaimed as she pulled away and practically leaped off the bed "Stop it...I don't deserve comfort or...or sympathy! It's all my fault..."

Ruby sat still on the bed watching her sister pacing. She honestly had no idea what to do since she had never been in this position before. It was always Charlie comforting her not the other way around.

"I miss her" Charlie finally stopped pacing and turned her heartbroken eyes back to Ruby "And you know the worst thing?"

Ruby shook her head numbly.

"I don't think she had ANY IDEA of how much loved her" The older girl finished "I love her so much Ruby but I was an IDIOT and now she's GONE!"

Ruby stood up unable to watch her sister's pain anymore and drew her into a tight hug. Charlie relaxed against her almost instantly and she clung onto Ruby as tears wracked her body.

"I love her..."

"I know" Ruby soothed as she ran a hand over her sister's hair in a comforting gesture "I know..."

Charlie pulled back to look at her sister "I don't know what I'm going to do without her Rubz..."

---

Joey closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh smell of the sea as she walked slowly down summer bay beach. She had resolved in her mind that she had to come back. She had to see Charlie just one more time.

"JOEY!"

Joey didn't even have time to glance up before she found herself in Ruby's giant bear hug which almost knocked her onto the ground. She was slightly surprised by the teen's enthusiasm but hugged her back just as tightly.

"Hey Ruby" she smiled when Ruby eventually released her.

"When did you get back?" Ruby questioned excitedly still holding onto Joey's arms.

"Just A couple of hours ago actually" Joey's expression darkened slightly as she looked to the ground then back up at Ruby "How's...How's Charlie?"

"She's...not good" Ruby responded sadly.

"What do you mean?" Joey asked in concerned confusion "What's wrong with her?!"

Ruby shot Joey a look that said '_Are you kidding me?'_ but she answered anyway "She's been a mess since you left Joey"

Joey and Ruby began to walk slowly down the beach.

"She's been drinking..." Ruby said quietly as she glanced sidelong at Joey "A lot. She really misses you" when Joey offered no response the teenager stopped short and grabbed her arm gently "Why are you here Joey?"

Joey sighed and looked out to the sea "I needed to see her again"

"Joey if you're only here to break her heart even more I think you should just leave" Ruby crossed her arms in front of her as she gazed hard at Joey.

The older girl looked at her in surprise "ME break HER heart?"

"I know what she did was wrong" Ruby reasoned "But you haven't seen her yet Joey. She's not the same Charlie she was before. She's been beating herself up about what she did ever since you left and... I don't you to add to her pain Okay?"

Joey nodded silently.

"Are you going to hurt her?" Ruby asked quietly.

"I don't know" Joey said softly as she sat down on the sand. She looked up at Ruby "I just wanted to see her one last time Ruby..."

Ruby sighed as she plopped down on the sand next to the other girl "This is going to kill her..."

Joey looked over at her, pain clearly etched onto her features "What should I do Ruby? I can't just forgive her! You have no idea how much she hurt me!"

"And YOU have no idea how much she loves you" Ruby pointed out gently.

"I still love her..." Joey said quietly "I love her so much..."

"Then you should stay" Ruby stated obviously "You should stay and you should FIGHT for her. Fight for what you had together"

"I can't" Joey responded tearfully as she stood up "I need to see her though..." with that she began to walk away.

"JOEY!" Ruby yelled.

Joey glanced behind her "What?!"

"If you hurt her..." Ruby left her threat hanging and Joey nodded before turning and walking away.

---

Joey wiped her clammy hand on her jeans before she took a deep breath and lifted a hand knocking on the door in front of her. A matter of minutes later it was flung open to reveal Charlie standing there looking as beautiful as ever but Joey noticed the spark that had disappeared from her eyes.

"Joey?!" Charlie gasped in shock.

Joey felt tears building up in her eyes as she took in the sight of the woman she loved. She couldn't help herself as she engulfed Charlie in a warm hug. Charlie returned the hug just as desperately as she inhaled the scent that she had missed for almost three months.

"Joey?" she questioned when she pulled away "What...what are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you" Joey responded simply "Can I...come in?"

"Oh!" Charlie exclaimed realising they were still standing in the doorway "Yeah, of course you can!" she stepped out of the way allowing Joey to walk past her.

"How have you been?" Joey asked as she sat on the couch.

"I've been..." Charlie looked away from Joey's gaze "Fine..."

"I saw Ruby" Joey said quietly.

"Oh" Charlie responded slowly "What did she say?"

"She said that you're a bit of a mess" Joey responded offering a small smile.

Charlie closed her eyes for a second before she reopened them and looked into Joey's eyes "Look Joey..." she started as she sat next to Joey on the couch and reached for her hand "I know you don't want to hear this but I have to say it anyway..." when Joey nodded almost imperceptibly she continued "I'm sorry. For everything...I have no excuses for what I did to you Joey. I'm not even going to try to defend myself..." she gazed sincerely into Joey's eyes "What I did with _him _was stupid. It was a mistake. I don't think I realised how much I need you...how much I love you until..."

"Shh" Joey interrupted softly as she placed a finger on Charlie's lips "Don't Charlie"

Charlie remained silent and watched Joey expectantly.

"I love you" Joey stated quietly "But I can't be with you...I can't risk it...I have to leave again..."

"Joey..."

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed as her eyes filled with tears "Don't make this any harder for me...Please..."

"But I love you!" Charlie argued as tears slipped down her own cheeks.

"I know..." Joey whispered as she brushed Charlie's tears away with her fingertips "But sometimes it just isn't enough..." she leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss on Charlie trembling lips "I love you so much Charlie..." she moved back and smiled tearfully at the older girl "I'll never love anyone like I love you..." with that she pulled her hand from Charlie's and walked out of the door leaving the other girl shaking with sobs.

---

"Charlie?" Ruby called in anticipation as she entered the house. She moved into the living room and her heart sank when she spotted Charlie on the couch shaking with almost silent sobs.

"Charlie?" she whispered as she moved to sit next to her sister. She placed a hand on her back and Charlie turned her tearful gaze to her.

"She left me again..." the older girl whispered a moment before Ruby pulled her into a tight embrace.

---

Joey ran down the beach ignoring the tears which blurred her vision. She finally slumped to the ground next to the sea and began to sob in earnest "Damn it Charlie..."

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Ruby sighed softly as she watched Charlie sleeping fitfully on the couch. The older girl had eventually cried herself to sleep in her sister's arms after Joey had left.

"Damn it Joey" Ruby whispered as she leaned forward and leaned her head on her fists. A soft shuffle drew her attention back to her sister and she froze in an attempt to remain as quiet as possible.

"Joey..." Charlie mumbled in her sleep as she shifted restlessly clutching tightly to the blanket Ruby had thrown over her.

Ruby's heart clenched painfully in her chest as she shuffled closer to her sister on the couch and placed a hand on her arm.

"Shh" she soothed in an attempt to calm her sister down "its okay Charlie..."

"Rubz?" Charlie mumbled as her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm right here" Ruby mumbled comfortingly "Are you okay?"

Charlie sat up and ran a hand through her slightly messy hair "Not really" she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them.

"I'm sorry" Ruby whispered "I have no idea what to say to make you feel better"

"There's nothing to say" Charlie responded as tears flooded her eyes "Just...come here" she held out a hand to her sister.

Ruby didn't hesitate as she took Charlie's hand and allowed herself to be pulled close into a warm embrace. They sat in silence apart from occasional sniffles from Charlie.

"She said she loved me" the older girl spoke up suddenly, startling Ruby from her daze "But she left me...I don't understand this Rubz..."

"Can I do anything?" Ruby turned slightly in her sisters' loose embrace to look at her "Do you want me to beat her up for you? Because as much as I like her, I'll still do it"

Charlie shook her head and smiled tearfully at her younger sister "No, but thanks anyway Rubz"

Ruby reached up and wiped Charlie's tears away gently "I'm sorry"

"You're sorry?" Charlie sniffled in confusion "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry I can't do anything" Ruby answered sadly "I'm sorry that I was so hard on you for loving Joey...Maybe if I hadn't been so against you wouldn't have felt the need to..."

"Sleep with Hugo?" Charlie questioned quietly "Betray Joey? Throw the best thing that's ever happened to me away?" she shook her head adamantly "That was all my fault. I chose to hurt Joey. I'm the only one who's to blame..."

"Charlie..." Ruby whispered "C'mon don't be so hard on yourself"

"I don't know what else to do" Charlie admitted as she met Ruby's eyes "She said that she still loved me but...I don't know _why _she would still love me after what I did to her..." she released a bitter laugh "It's so typical of me...I didn't realise how happy she made me...How much I _loved _her until she was gone"

"Charlie, Please!" Ruby squeezed her sisters' hand tightly "Don't do this to yourself"

"Why not?" the older girl questioned tearfully "I'm such an IDIOT Ruby!"

"You're not!" Ruby insisted forcefully "You made a mistake Charlie!"

"A mistake which cost me the love of my life..." Charlie sighed dejectedly. She wiped the remaining tears away from her eyes and pulled away from Ruby to stand up.

"I need to get out of here for a while" she remarked painfully "I have to think"

"It's dark out" Ruby pointed out in concern as she too stood up from the couch "Maybe you shouldn't go anywhere...You're not exactly in a very good state of mind Charlz"

"I'll be fine" Charlie responded as she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to control her raging emotions "I just need some air Rubz"

"Okay" Ruby nodded hesitantly "But don't be long okay?"

Charlie nodded as she wrapped her sister in a hug "I love you Rubz"

"I love you too" Ruby responded as she returned the hug.

Charlie pulled away from the hug and started towards the door.

"I'll be back soon"

"See ya later Charlz"

---

Charlie leaned heavily on the white fence in front of her as she looked out at the waves below her. She closed her eyes for a moment allowing her mind to drift to past memories as her tears flowed freely.

"_I think..." Charlie paused for a split second "I'm in love with you too"_

_Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Joey's barely suppressed grin. _

"_What are we going to do about it?"_

_Charlie turned back to gaze out of the windscreen of her car avoiding Joey's gaze. _

"_Do you want to be with me?" Joey's voice had turned slightly more serious. _

_Charlie nodded and a moment later she felt Joey smooth a hand comfortingly over her hair. She turned to the younger girl and grasped her hand, her confidence growing slightly. _

"_Yes" she answered firmly "I want to be with you"_

_They both leaned forward at the same time and pressed their lips together in a tender kiss. _

Charlie was brought back to the present at a slight shuffling from behind her. She looked over her shoulder but found she couldn't see anything through the dark. She released a soft sigh as she looked at her watch, surprised to see how late it was.

"Damn it" she said softly as she wiped her fallen tears away with the back of her hand "Ruby's gonna kill me..."

She turned around and began to walk forward when she heard the quiet shuffling closet this time. She swallowed hard as she glanced around herself.

"Who's there?!" she questioned quietly.

When there was no response she shook her head and began to walk again "You're paranoid Charlie"

A matter of seconds later she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head before everything turned black.

---

Joey shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans as she walked slowly gazing out at the waves below her.

"You're such an idiot Joey" she mumbled to herself as she felt tears prick her eyes. She glanced around suddenly realising where she was. She was close to where she and Charlie had shared their second kiss. A soft sigh escaped her as she continued walking. She noticed a man dressed in black jogging towards her but thought nothing of it until he pushed roughly past her.

"Geeze" she muttered rubbing her shoulder "Rude much?"

She shook her head and once again continued walking to her destination. As she neared the spot which was dimly lit with moonlight she caught site of somebody sprawled on the ground. She sped up her pace until she was running towards them but stopped short when she recognised the girl before her.

"Charlie?" she croaked out as she slumped to her knees only now noticing the blood which surrounded the older girl.

"Charlie?!" she repeated in panic as she tapped the other girl's cheek lightly. She allowed her eyes to run down the other girls' body to assess her injuries and winced when she noticed that most of the bleeding appeared to be coming from her stomach.

"Oh God" she whispered as she placed a hand on the wound to stop the bleeding. She quickly pulled out her cell phone with her free hand and dialled 112.

"I need an ambulance" she said quickly "My girlfriend's been stabbed" she didn't even notice that she hadn't referred to Charlie as her friend but rather, her girlfriend. She was quickly reassured that the ambulance would be there as soon as possible. Joey hung up quickly and flung the phone carelessly to the side.

"Charlie" she whispered as she lifted a hand to the other girls' cheek "Please wake up!" she ran a hand down the other girls hair and released a quiet sob as she felt blood covering her hand. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead lightly against the other girl "I'm so sorry Charlie...Please don't leave me..."

---

A while later Joey sat in the waiting room of the hospital gazing numbly at her bloody hands as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Joey!" she heard Ruby's voice yell. She looked up to see Ruby storming towards her with Leah hot on her heels. She had asked the doctor to call them a while ago.

She stood up quickly to face the younger girl "Ruby..."

"The doctors said that she's in critical condition!" Ruby said tightly though tears flooded her eyes "That she has to have an operation!"

"I didn't..." Joey looked away having no idea what to say.

"You didn't WHAT?!" Ruby exclaimed loudly "You didn't THINK before you decided _what the hell I'll go and shatter Charlie's heart into a million little Pieces?! _You didn't want this to happen?!" she paused breathing heavily "This is all your fault Joey!"

Joey offered no response as her tears continued.

"Ruby" Leah said softly as she placed a placating hand on Ruby's shoulder "That's enough!"

"NO!" Ruby exclaimed as she pulled away from Leah's touch "It's not enough...It never will be!" she narrowed her tear filled eyes angrily at Joey "She's all I have Joey, and if I lose her..."

"I'm sorry..." Joey whispered weakly.

"You're SORRY?!" Ruby exploded as she shoved Joey roughly backwards "I told you not to fucking HURT her Joey. I TOLD you! And you...you just..."

"RUBY!" Leah exclaimed quietly "Stop it!"

"I didn't mean to hurt her..." Joey said quietly.

"But you did!" Ruby exclaimed "You did hurt her Joey and now she...she could DIE Joey!" The teenager released a pain filled sob "She could die..."

"Ruby..." Joey moved forward and attempted to pull the younger girl into her arms but Ruby resisted valiantly "I'm so sorry..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Ruby sobbed as she attempted to push Joey away from her "I don't want to hear it Joey..." she finally collapsed into the circle of Joey's arms and they both slumped to the floor together sobbing.

---

"She'll be okay" Leah spoke up a while later as she watched Joey a while later. Joey looked up from where she was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Ruby had fallen asleep a while ago and now lay with her head resting on Joey's lap.

"How do you know?" Joey questioned her voice slightly hoarse from crying.

"She's Charlie" Leah answered quietly "She's a fighter...You know that..."

"What if she thinks she has nothing to fight for?" Joey asked guiltily as she looked down at Ruby.

"She has you" Leah pointed out "And even if she doesn't think so right now she would never want to leave Ruby...She has to live for _her"_

Joey nodded slowly "I know" she looked up into Leah's eyes "I love her...But I hurt her and now she's REALLY hurt!"

"It wasn't your fault" Leah said quietly.

"Ruby seems to think so" Joey protested "And quite frankly so do I"

"Ruby was upset" Leah reasoned "She didn't know what she was saying..."

A quiet cough from next to them caused them to look up to see Charlie's doctor. Joey set about gently waking Ruby up while Leah quickly stood from her chair.

A moment later they stood in front of the doctor gazing at him in anticipation.

"Is Charlie okay?" Ruby spoke up nervously.

"She's out of theatre" the doctor answered gently as he gazed at them sympathetically "But there are some complications..."

"What kind of complications?!" Joey questioned anxiously.

"There was a build up of fluid on her brain as well as some bleeding" the doctor answered "We've managed to remove it but you have to be prepared for the possibility of..."

"What?!" Ruby questioned.

"There could be some brain damage" the doctor informed them quietly.

"Oh my God" Ruby's hands shot to her mouth and she began to sway slightly. Joey wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her steady and swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

Leah turned to them and motioned toward the door of the hospital "I should go...Call..." Joey nodded quickly and watched her leave.

"Can we see her?" she questioned quietly as she blinked against the tears in her eyes.

"Are you family?" The doctor asked.

Joey was about to respond in the negative when she felt Ruby clutch her hand tightly.

"Yeah" Ruby answered shakily "She is"

---

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Ruby questioned quietly a while later as she held her sisters hand in both of her own.

"I hope so" Joey replied as she gazed down at Charlie who looked had a number of cuts and bruises and a number of wires attached to her. The doctor had explained that Charlie had a number of additional injuries including a fractured wrist and a broken leg.

"Thanks for before" Joey spoke up suddenly "For what you said to the doctor...You didn't have to do that..."

Ruby shrugged "I needed you here" she finally looked up at Joey "I didn't mean what I said before..."

"Don't worry about it" Joey cut her off "Everything you said was true..."

"Joey..."

"Let's just drop it okay Ruby?"

Ruby nodded as she watched Joey who kept her eyes trained on Charlie "You still love her don't you?"

Joey nodded tearfully "I do"

"Are you still going to leave?" Ruby asked "When...If she wakes up"

"When" Joey corrected positively "...she wakes up, I'm not leaving...I don't know what I'm going to say to her though..."

Ruby nodded and they lapsed back into silence apart from the steady beeping of Charlie's heart monitor.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Joey sighed as she gently brushed a strand of dark hair away from Charlie's cheek with her free hand. The older girl had so far showed no signs of waking up but Rachel had reassured them after checking that she was improving.

"Charlie?" she said softly as she raised Charlie's hand to her lips and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles "Rachel says I should try talking to you...That you might be able to hear me..." she paused, gazing intently at Charlie's features for any sign that she could hear her "Or maybe I'm just talking to myself...I missed you when I was away. More than I thought I would..." Joey closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back at Charlie "You have to wake up Charlie. I have to tell you how...sorry I am for hurting you. I have to tell you that I forgive you" when there was once again no response Joey leaned forward slightly and placed a gentle kiss on Charlie's cheek "I'll wait for you" she sunk back in her seat although she still held tightly to Charlie's hand and gazed contemplatively at the other girl.

"Joey?" a voice sounded from the doorway.

"Jesus!" Joey jumped slightly and looked up at the doorway to see Ruby standing there.

"Nope, Just me" Ruby smirked as she stepped into the room.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Joey asked placing her free hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"No" Ruby laughed as she held one of the polystyrene cups in her hand out to the older girl "But I do bring Coffee"

"Thanks" Joey smiled weakly as she took the coffee and inhaled the strong aroma deeply. She sipped tentatively at the steaming black liquid as she turned back to Charlie.

"Still nothing?" Ruby questioned even though she had only been gone for about twenty minutes.

"No" Joey shook her head and set the coffee down "Not yet"

"She'll be okay though, right?" The younger girl questioned in worry "She'll wake up?"

Joey gazed intently at Ruby wishing she could give her the teen the reassurance she so obviously craved "I don't know, I..."

"Hey" a female voice interrupted them. Both conscious girls looked towards the doorway to see Rachel enter, a clip board held loosely in her hand.

"Hey" Joey said quietly as Ruby offered a small wave.

"How are you guys holding up?" Rachel questioned in concern.

Joey glanced at Ruby who shrugged and turned her gaze back to her sister "We're doing okay I guess..."

Rachel nodded understandingly before she continued hesitantly "I have good news and I have bad news..."

"Great" Ruby mumbled dryly as both Joey and herself subconsciously squeezed Charlie's hands tighter "What's the bad news?"

"The bad news" Rachel responded calmly "Is that the bleeding on Charlie's brain was worse than we thought..."

"What does that mean?" Joey asked hoarsely when she noticed that Ruby seemed unable to speak.

"It means that there will be a definite effect on her recovery...The chance of brain damage is higher..." At both Joey and Ruby's stricken expressions she held a hand up "Now you shouldn't think the worst...The effect could be minimal..."

"And if it's not?" Ruby questioned wearily "What happens then?"

The young doctor paused for a moment "I can't say right now...There's no way I can predict how bad the damage is going to be"

"How bad _could _it be?!" Ruby persisted.

"I honestly can't say" Rachel answered "We have to wait until she wakes up"

"You mean _if _she wakes up" Ruby murmured quietly. Joey glanced up at her in shock and was about to say something when she noticed tears glittering in the teens eyes.

"The good news" Rachel continued, in a slightly more upbeat tone than before "Is that Charlie could wake up anytime now. Her vitals are strong and everything seems to be in order"

"You're saying that she's _definitely _going to wake up?" Joey asked "That she's going to be okay?"

"Well...I can't say _that_" Rachel winced slightly at the disappointed expressions of both of the girls in front of her "But she's out of the woods now..." She allowed her voice to trail off for a moment before she spoke up again "I have another small piece of bad news"

"You have got to be kidding me" Ruby groaned covering her eyes with her free hand.

"When she does wake up she's going to be in a LOT of pain. The estimate for a recovery is about 5 months"

"Uh-oh" Ruby mumbled casting a fond look at her sister "She's gonna hate that"

Joey nodded in agreement before glancing back at Rachel "Is that all of the bad news?"

Rachel nodded "Yeah, but I have a suggestion..."

"What is it?"

"You two" Rachel motioned between Ruby and Joey "Need to go home and get some sleep." They both started to protest at the same time.

"There's no way I'm leaving her again!"

"We have to stay here with her!"

"What if she wakes up while we're gone?!"

"You can't make us..."

"Woah!" Rachel exclaimed holding her hands up to silence them. They fell silent and glanced at each other sheepishly.

"What I'm trying to say" Rachel spoke "Is that you both have to go home and get some sleep but you can come back tomorrow morning..."

"But..." Both girls began to argue.

"Ah!" Rachel made a zipping motion across her lips "I'll put this another way..." she smiled warmly at Joey and Ruby "It would be much better for both of you if I didn't have to have you thrown out..."

"What?" Ruby questioned sceptically "Come on, you wouldn't..."

"Try me" the young doctor stated before her expression turned slightly more serious "Seriously though neither of you are going to be of any use to Charlie when she wakes up if you're both exhausted or hyped up on Coffee" she motioned towards the two polystyrene cups "I promise I'll watch her and I'll call you if she wakes up"

"Fine" Joey finally spoke up reluctantly "We'll go"

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed "But..."

"Rachel's right Ruby" Joey sighed "We have to go home..."

Ruby looked disinclined to the idea but nodded shortly at Joey.

"Have the police found anything out about who did this?" Rachel questioned as she checked Charlie's stats.

"Not yet" Joey frowned "They say that they're still investigating the scene of the crime but..." she sighed and shook her head "I don't know...There has to be something...All criminals leave _some _trace..."

"You've spent way too much time with my sister" Ruby stated offering Joey a small smile.

Joey shrugged "Yeah, well..."

"I expect you two to be gone when I come back" Rachel stated as she headed towards the door. She left leaving Joey and Ruby alone with Charlie.

"Shit" the teen mumbled as she leaned forward slightly and closed her eyes.

"Language Ruby" Joey reprimanded softly.

Ruby glanced up in surprise and looked between Joey and her unconscious sister "God, you're even starting to sound like her"

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

Ruby shrugged "Maybe"

Joey stood up "I guess we should go than..."

"Yeah" Ruby nodded grudgingly "See you later Charlz" she squeezed her sister's hand one more time before releasing it. She glanced at Joey and motioned towards the door "I'll wait outside for you, Okay?"

Joey nodded and flashed the younger girl a grateful smile. She watched Ruby leave before her gaze focused on Charlie once more. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the other girl's cheek "I love you Charlie..." she swallowed against the lump in her throat as she felt her eyes moisten "Remember what I said...I'll be waiting for you..." she pulled back and released Charlie's hand before forcing herself to walk out of the room.

"You Okay?" Ruby asked quietly as she moved towards Joey.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Joey said quietly as she wiped quickly at her eyes and walked out of the hospital with Ruby "I Just...I don't know..." Ruby nodded in understanding and they fell silent as they walked.

"Hey" the younger girl spoke up suddenly "You're going to stay with us, right? Tonight?"

"I don't know" Joey answered unsurely "I was just going to walk you home then head back to where I was staying"

"What?" Ruby questioned in concern "No way. There's a psycho out there somewhere Jo! Just stay with us..."

Joey bit her lip nervously "Are you sure you want me to?"

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed without hesitation "I don't really feel like being alone...I mean I know Leah will be there but...It's not really the same y'know? You understand what I'm feeling..."

"Okay" Joey said quietly. The silence once again fell between them. Joey glanced at Ruby noticing she seemed slightly distracted.

"Hey" she said as she nudged the teenager gently "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded "I'll be fine"

Joey nodded though she didn't believe Ruby's answer.

---

Joey found that she felt surprisingly better after a long hot shower to soothe her aching muscles and frazzled nerves. She leaned back against the couch watching Ruby fidget slightly next to her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked in concern.

Ruby glanced up at her hesitantly "Uh...No...Not really"

Joey frowned as she leaned forward slightly "What's wrong?"

"I wanted..." Ruby swallowed hard, finding her throat drying up "To apologise. For not supporting your relationship with Charlie..."

"Ruby..."

"Wait" Ruby held up a hand "Just let me do this okay?" Joey nodded silently and Ruby carried on "All I want is for Charlie to be happy. And she was...She was happy with you. But I was selfish and...Maybe if I had been more supportive..."

"Stop" Joey said firmly, holding up a hand to stop the teen continuing "Me and Charlie breaking up was not your fault okay? It was just a lot of mistakes made by...me and Charlie..."

Ruby nodded slowly "Do you think you guys will be okay? When she wakes up?"

"I hope so" Joey sighed "I've forgiven Charlie for...what happened. I just hope she can forgive me for hurting her..."

Ruby nodded and they both ascended into comfortable silence again.

"I guess I should go to bed" Ruby said as she stood up and stretched "Will you be okay? You're staying in Charlie's room, right?"

Joey hesitated for a moment before nodding "Yeah, I'll be fine...'Night Ruby"

"G'night" Ruby responded as she made her way to her room.

Joey released a deep sigh when she heard the door to Ruby's room close with a deep click. She pushed herself up off the couch and allowed her feet to carry her automatically to Charlie's bedroom. She entered and crawled under the covers of the bed only now realising how exhausted she actually was. She buried her face in Charlie's pillow and inhaled the familiar comforting scent which still clung to the blankets. A deep sadness filled her at the lack of Charlie's presence and she felt tears build up in her eyes once again. After a while exhaustion took over and Joey finally succumbed to sleep.

---

"Hey" Joey offered Ruby a small smile as she watched the younger girl enter the kitchen, looking more alert than she had yesterday "How do you feel"

"I'm fine...Can't wait to get back to Charlie" Ruby responded simply "What about you?"

"Same" Joey stated offering a cup to the teenager "Coffee?"

"Thanks" Ruby smiled as she took the cup "Where's Leah?"

Joey shrugged "I think she left earl..." she was cut off by the ringing of the phone. Ruby sighed but got up to answer it anyway. She returned o the kitchen a moment later, looking slightly shocked.

"What s it?" Joey asked in concern "Did something happen with Charlie?"

"She's awake" Ruby replied. She seemed to snap out of her shock as she grabbed Joey's hand and pulled her towards the door "Come on, We have to go!"

--

When they finally got to the hospital they found Rachel waiting for them but Ruby pulled Joey straight past her towards Charlie's room. The young doctor sighed and followed them quickly.

"Charlie!" Ruby exclaimed as she entered the room to find her sister sitting up in the bed. She rushed over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Okay" Charlie winced as she returned the hug "I'm really happy to see you too Rubz but I'm still kind of sore"

"Oh!" The teen pulled away quickly "sorry"

"Don't worry about it" Charlie smiled weakly at her sister who had latched onto her hand. She glanced at the other occupant of the room besides Ruby and Rachel.

"Wait!" Rachel held up a hand "I have to explain..."

"Do I know you?" the words escaped Charlie's lips shocking both Joey and Ruby.

"She has short term memory loss!" Rachel stated.

"What?!" Charlie questioned looking around the room "Wait I'm confused and you..." she pointed at Rachel "Aren't answering my questions so..." she looked towards Joey "Who are you?" she turned her gaze to Ruby "And where is Dad? They said something happened but they won't tell me anything..."

"Oh Shit!" Ruby cursed as her hand flew to her mouth. This time Joey didn't reprimand her as she stood in silence, tears filling her eyes.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

"Oh my god" Ruby mumbled as she gazed at Charlie in shock "This is not good...this is so not good..." she glanced at Rachel who stood helplessly in the doorway then at Joey who was swaying slightly on the spot.

"Okay!" she exclaimed as she moved forward and grabbed both of Joey's arms to hold her steady "You need to sit..." she moved her backwards and pushed her gently onto the chair next to Charlie's hospital bed. Joey looked up at her blankly with tears in her eyes.

"How is this possible?" Ruby questioned as she turned around to face Rachel.

"I told you that there would be an effect on her brain" Rachel shrugged "There's always likely to be some form of Amnesia when a head injury is involved. She's actually quite lucky..."

Charlie tuned her sister and the doctor out as she turned to look closely at Joey.

"Am I supposed to know you?" she questioned.

"Yeah" Joey nodded attempting to push back her tears "You are"

"Oh" Charlie frowned in confusion "You're...Joey?"

Joey nodded "Yeah"

"Can you tell me what happened?" Charlie asked as she pushed herself further up in the bed, wincing as she did so "Nobody will tell me anything around here"

"You were attacked" The younger girl explained softly trying to block out the sound of Ruby and Rachel's conversation.

"Attacked?" Charlie repeated "By who?"

"We don't know yet" Joey said softly as she shuffled forward so she was closer to Charlie "The police haven't found anything"

"Huh" Charlie mumbled in consideration "I can't think of anyone who would want to attack me..."

"Maybe it was random?" Joey suggested unsurely.

"Maybe..." Charlie murmured thoughtfully as she gazed intently at Joey "I wish I could remember...This is all so confusing" she lifted a hand to her head and closed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked softly clenching her hands into fists to stop herself reaching out to the other girl.

"Just a headache" Charlie shrugged "So what's wrong with me?"

"You were stabbed" Joey answered gesturing towards Charlie's stomach "You have bleeding on your brain so that's why your head hurts...I think. You also have a fractured wrist and a broken leg as well as quite a few cuts and bruises"

"Sounds like I had quite a beating" Charlie commented softly.

"I guess you did" Joey sighed softly "So...you don't remember me at all?"

Charlie shook her head "No...Sorry"

"Oh" Joey whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

"Hey" Charlie said in concern as she reached a hand out towards Joey "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Joey lied as she took Charlie's offered hand.

Charlie nodded disbelievingly not really understanding why she cared so much about the younger girl.

"So will she get her memory back?!" They heard Ruby question loudly. They looked up to where Rachel and Ruby were still talking.

"I don't know. It's a possibility" Rachel answered "You need to calm down, Ruby"

"NO!" Ruby yelled.

"Ruby!" Both Joey and Charlie said in unison. Charlie glanced in surprise at Joey who kept her gaze on Ruby.

"Ruby just calm down" she said quietly "Rachel's doing all she can right now, okay?"

"Ugh!" Ruby exclaimed in annoyance as she sank down onto the chair on Charlie's other side. She took a deep breath before looking up at Rachel "I'm sorry...I'm just...Worried"

"It's okay" Rachel smiled reassuringly before she focused on Charlie "Now Charlie, I'm not saying that you won't get your memory back okay? Anything at all could trigger you and help you to remember"

"Right" Charlie nodded distractedly "So when can I go home?"

"Not yet" Rachel said firmly "I need to keep an eye on you to make sure you stay conscious and healthy"

"Okay" Charlie sighed in annoyance.

"You have a number of other injuries..."

"I know" Charlie interrupted.

"How do you know?" Rachel questioned in confusion "Are you in pain? I thought we had given you enough pain relief..."

"Joey told me" Charlie explained squeezing Joey's hand slightly.

"Okay" Rachel nodded "Anyway as I was saying you are going to be in pain for quite a while and the expected recovery time is 5 month which means...You need to take time off work"

"What?" Charlie practically whined "Why?!"

"To help your recovery" Rachel replied "You need to take it easy. Now if any of you need me just ask the nurse to give me a call"

All three of the girls nodded and Rachel left the room.

"So..." Ruby said into the silence "Now what do we do?"

The other two girls shrugged silently.

"You really can't remember anything?" Ruby asked quietly "Not even Joey?"

"No" Charlie answered as she glanced at Joey "How do I know you anyway?"

Joey appeared unable to answer.

"She was your gir..." Ruby began to say.

"Your friend" Joey interrupted quickly "I was your friend. We met when you helped me with my case"

"Joey?" Ruby questioned in a dangerously calm voice "Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?"

Joey stood up and released Charlie's hand from her grip "Sure" with one last glance at Charlie she walked out of the door.

"Ruby..." Charlie began to speak.

"We'll be right back" Ruby smiled reassuringly before she followed Joey closing the door behind her.

Charlie frowned in confusion and slumped back against her pillow "What the hell is going on?"

--

"What the hell are you doing?" Ruby questioned loudly as she turned to Joey.

"Ruby keep it down" Joey warned.

"No" Ruby responded "I won't keep it down Joey! You said that you loved her!"

"I do!" Joey argued.

"Then why did you say you were just her friend?!" Ruby asked angrily "What? Is this an easy way out for you?!"

"Ruby shut up!" Joey exclaimed grabbing the teens arm and pulling her further away from the door "What did you think I should have said? _'Hey Charlie I know you think you're straight but you're actually not and guess what...I'm your GIRLFRIEND?'"_

"You shouldn't have lied to her" Ruby stated adamantly.

"I HAD to lie!" Joey insisted "She freaked out about it before...And that was when she actually KNEW me...What would she be like now?"

"So you're just going to give up on her?" Ruby asked in disbelief "After all you two have been through?!"

"I'm not giving up" Joey said quietly "I didn't say that!"

"Than what are you going to do?!"

"I don't know" Joey sighed "But if I'm really meant to be with her...We'll find our way back to each other"

Ruby huffed in annoyance before she turned around and walked back into her sister's room. Joey shook her head and followed her.

"Are you two okay?" Charlie asked them in worry "Have you been arguing?"

"No" Joey smiled shaking her head as she sat down "We're fine"

"So I guess we're pretty close friends, right?" Charlie asked.

"What?" Joey gaped at her in shock.

"You know my sister" Charlie pointed out "And I obviously trust you with her"

"Oh...Yeah"

"She lives with us" Ruby announced.

Joey turned her shocked gaze towards Ruby who grinned triumphantly.

"You live with us?" Charlie questioned in confusion "At Leah's?"

"Uh..."

"Yes!" Ruby answered for Joey "She moved in with us a while ago because she had nowhere to stay"

"Okay" Charlie nodded "So...How long have I been out?"

"A week" Joey answered shooting a glare at Ruby.

"A WEEK?!" Charlie exclaimed in surprise "She hasn't gotten into any trouble, has she?"

"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed in offence "We've been here most of the time...And Joey's with me practically every minute of the day anyway"

"Thanks" Charlie smiled softly at Joey "For looking out for her..." Joey shrugged and Charlie turned her attention towards her sister "Sorry Rubz"

Ruby shrugged "It doesn't matter"

Charlie shifted slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable and felt pain shoot through her abdomen "OW!"

"What?!" Joey questioned anxiously as she stood up quickly "What ow? Where? What happened?!"

"I'm fine!" Charlie smiled "Maybe moving isn't such a good idea"

"Oh" Joey blushed profusely at her panic and sunk back into her seat. She glanced at Ruby to see she was smirking at her and narrowed her eyes at the teen.

"So you can't think of anybody who would want to do this?" she asked in an attempt to steer the conversation away from her embarrassment.

"No" Charlie said quietly.

"Angry criminal?" Ruby suggested.

"I don't think so" Charlie muttered.

"Your brother?" Ruby asked Joey.

"Brett?" Joey said in surprise "No I don't think he would do anything like that..."

"Trey?"

"Locked up"

Charlie looked between them feeling slightly out of the loop "Who is Trey and why would your brother want to attack me?"

Joey sighed "Trey is the guy from my case you tried to convict and my brother uh...He was pissed at you when you invited me to move in..."

"Oh" Charlie frowned feeling a headache beginning.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked in worry.

Charlie shrugged "Overload of information"

"Oh" Ruby mumbled. She quickly changed the subject of conversation to something less strenuous for her sister's memory.

---

"Joey?" Ruby whispered a while later after Charlie had fallen asleep and darkness had descended on the room.

"Yeah?" Joey asked quietly.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know" Joey sighed "I mean...she doesn't remember me _at all _Ruby"

"Hey" Ruby bit her lip in concern when she heard the tears in Joey's voice "I'm sure it'll be fine...Rachel said that she might still get her memory back. We'll just have to help her remember..."

"Okay" Joey sniffled quietly.

The room fell into silence for a while until Joey spoke up again "Ruby?"

"Mmhm?" The teenager mumbled.

"I'm still going to kill you" Joey said jokingly.

"You love me really" Ruby grinned "I'm just being a helpful almost sister in law"

"Whatever" Joey groaned unable to stop the smile that tugged at her lips as Charlie tightened her grip on her hand.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hey" Joey smiled as she entered Charlie's hospital room with Ruby at her side "ready to go home?"

"That's an understatement" Charlie frowned "I don't know why it would take them so long to get my pain relief anyway"

"Somebody's grumpy today" Ruby grinned at her exasperated sister.

"Yeah well..." Charlie grumbled unhappily "Wouldn't you be slightly unhappy if you had to walk with that stupid crutch?" she motioned disdainfully at the crutch which leaned against the wall "And on top of that I feel like my head is full of loose marbles"

Ruby opened her mouth with a witty retort but thought better of it as her sister attempted to push herself from the bed.

"Whoa!" Joey rushed forward and grabbed Charlie's arms gently "Are you sure you should be doing that?"

"I probably shouldn't" the older girl replied "But I have to do it eventually"

"You could hurt yourself" Joey cautioned quietly as Charlie continued to attempt to get up.

"It's a bit late for that" Charlie winced pressing a hand to her throbbing stomach "Ow"

"What?" Joey asked "What's wrong? Do you want me to get Rachel because..."

"No" Charlie inhaled deeply trying to push back the pain "She'll never let me out of this place if she thinks there's something wrong with me"

"But what if there is something wrong with you?" Joey asked her concern palpable.

"Why do you care so much?" Charlie questioned softly.

"I'm your friend, remember?" the younger girl answered shakily.

"Sorry" Charlie sighed "I'm just frustrated with all of this..." she gazed at Joey bashfully "Can you uh...help me up?"

"Sure" Joey whispered as she wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist and helped her stand up from the bed "Are you okay?"

Charlie leaned heavily on Joey "Not really...I feel a bit unbalanced..."

"Maybe you should sit down..."

"I'm fine" Charlie stated as she released her grip on Joey and pushed away from her slightly "See? I'm totally fi..."

Joey hastily grabbed the other girl's arms to steady her as she almost lurched forward.

"Really?" she questioned sarcastically "You're fine?"

"Is our patient giving you trouble?" Rachel's voice sounded from the doorway.

"Yes!" Ruby exclaimed "But we knew that she would anyway, didn't we?"

"Good point" Rachel muttered as stepped into the room and narrowed her eyes a Charlie "What are you doing?"

"Um...Leaving?" Charlie questioned in confusion.

"No you're not" Rachel shook her head adamantly.

"She's not?" Joey and Ruby questioned in unison.

"Not yet...I have to talk to you all first"

Charlie sighed and stumbled backwards so she was leaning against the bed.

"Okay" Rachel said when she was sure she had everyone's attention "First of all Charlie you don't go to work until I say you can okay?"

Charlie nodded silently deciding that arguing would only prolong the talk.

"And if there are ANY problems at all I want to know right away okay?"

"Okay" Charlie nodded "Can I go now?"

"Yes" Rachel nodded. She looked between Joey and Ruby and held up a white paper bag "These are for the pain. If she needs them the guidelines are on the box. But...they will make her very tired so only use them when necessary"

Both Joey and Ruby nodded solemnly and Rachel handed the bag to Ruby.

"You're free to go" she said to Charlie.

"At last" Charlie sighed in relief. She glanced at Joey piteously and the girl moved once again to her side.

"Thanks Joey" Charlie whispered gratefully as she leaned against Joey.

"No problem" Joey smiled as she grabbed the crutch and handed it to Charlie. She slowly shifted from Charlie's grip on her and made sure she was steady before fully releasing her.

"You okay?" she questioned still hovering unsurely mere inches from Charlie.

"I'm Okay"

They began to move slowly towards the doorway where Ruby was standing. Joey placed a hand on the teens shoulder and gazed at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" She mouthed silently.

Ruby shrugged and offered her a weak smile.

Charlie glanced back at them and noticed their exchange. The other two girls quickly caught up with her and they walked slowly out of the hospital doors towards the car.

--

"It's good to be home" Charlie commented quietly as Joey helped her sit down on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Joey questioned "Do you need anything?"

Charlie shook her head "I just need my bed"

"Charlie?" Ruby questioned somewhat tentatively as she sat down on the couch next to her sister.

"Yeah?" Charlie responded "What's up Rubz?"

"Can I skip school tomorrow?" at her sister's resolved expression she held up a hand "Wait just hear me out..." when Charlie nodded Ruby continued to speak "I just really don't think I can go back yet...I want to be here for you...Just for tomorrow, please?"

Charlie bit her lip undecidedly "I don't know Rubz..." she glanced at Joey "What do you think Joey?"

"Huh?" Joey questioned slightly surprised "Uh...Why are you asking me?"

"Because I want your opinion" Charlie replied "So what do you think?"

Joey glanced at Ruby who gazed at her pleadingly "I think she should stay home...but just for a day..."

Charlie nodded and turned back to Ruby "Okay Rubz you've got one day...No more okay?"

Ruby nodded "Okay"

"Hey" Charlie said suddenly after a moment of silence as she looked at Joey in confusion "Where do you sleep?"

"Wh...Uh...I..." Joey sent a beseeching look towards Ruby.

"She sleeps in my room" Ruby answered for her "Moving in here was only temporary so yeah...I moved into your room..."

"Oh" Charlie still appeared confused "I don't know if sleeping in my room would be a good idea for you right now Rubz...I'll probably keep you awake with all my tossing and turning"

"Joey and I can switch!" Ruby stated brightly "I can sleep in my room and Joey can...um...Sleep with you...You're a night owl anyway right Joey?"

Joey offered no answer instead she gazed at her in shock.

"Would you mind?" Charlie questioned quietly "I think it would be better if I didn't wake Ruby up..."

"I don't mind..." Joey answered softly.

"Anyway!" Ruby grinned "It's not like you two haven't slept together before"

Joey shot her a glare silently telling her to shut up.

"Okaaay" Charlie frowned "You should go to bed Ruby...It's late"

Ruby nodded and gaze her sister a quick hug "Night Charlz" she pulled away from Charlie and pulled Joey too into a quick hug "Night Jo"

"Goodnight" The older girls said in unison.

Joey gazed after Ruby in surprise as she left the room.

"So..." Charlie said awkwardly "Should we..." she motioned vaguely towards her bedroom.

---

"Joey?" Charlie whispered into the darkness as she gazed at the ceiling. For a reason unknown to her she found herself achingly aware of the other girl's warm presence mere inches from her.

"Mmmhn?" Joey mumbled

"I know I've already said this but I really appreciate that you looked after Ruby for me"

"It's no problem"

"You said we were friends, right?" Charlie questioned in a hushed voice.

"Uh-huh"

"Have you and Ruby always gotten along so well? She doesn't usually like my friends" Charlie questioned.

"We didn't" Joey replied honestly "Not in the beginning, well...not _really_...Not like we do now" she offered no further explanation.

"Oh" Charlie said quietly. Unable to withstand the temptation any longer she reached out and grasped Joey's left hand with her right under the covers "Thanks for what you did at the hospital...For Ruby. I know this must be really hard for her.

"She hates to see you hurting" Joey agreed softly.

Silence settled once again between them.

"Joey?" Charlie murmured suddenly.

"Yeah?" Joey whispered.

"I wish I could remember you"

Joey tightened her grip on Charlie's hand and fought back tears at the sadness and confusion in the other girls' voice "Me too"

---

"Hey" Joey smiled as Charlie limped into the kitchen where she and Ruby were already seated.

"Hey Charlz" Ruby muttered as she glanced briefly at her sister.

"Hey" Charlie winced "Ow..."

Joey stood up and helped Charlie to sit down in between her and Ruby.

"Thanks" Charlie smiled as Joey returned to her seat "This really hurts"

"You're lucky you didn't need a cast" Ruby commented "Wait..._we're _lucky you didn't need one...You'd be even moodier than you already are"

"I am not moody!" Charlie protested glancing at Joey "Am I, Joey?"

"Well she's obviously going to take your side since you're..." Ruby trailed off as Joey kicked her under the table "OW! What was that for?!"

Joey narrowed her eyes at the teen and shook her head.

Charlie looked between them in suspicion "Are you two keeping something from me?"

"No!" Joey exclaimed "but uh...Do you need your pain pills?"

"No" Charlie shook her head "I'll just tough it out"

"Typical" Ruby mumbled.

Charlie chose to ignore that comment and instead turned to Joey "So what are you doing today?"

"I thought I'd just hang out here with you guys" Joey shrugged as she handed Charlie a cup of coffee "I don't really have much else to do"

"Great" Charlie practically beamed "Are you sure you don't mind staying here all day though? I mean don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ruby blurted out "Joey's about as straight as a freaking Rainbow Slinkee"

"Ruby!" Joey exclaimed as she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

"Oops" Ruby mumbled sinking down in her seat. She attempted to distract herself by returning to the bowl of cereal in front of her.

Charlie gaped at them both for a moment before she nodded slowly "Okay..."

Silence fell over the table and Charlie glanced between Ruby and Joey "Wait. Is this the big secret? " She glanced at Joey "Are you...And my sister" she made a vague gesture with her hands.

Ruby promptly choked on her cereal and Joey stared at Charlie in disbelief.

"No" she exclaimed shaking her head vigorously "No we're not"

"Oh" Charlie breathed a sigh of relief wondering why Jealousy had shot through her at the very thought "That's good. I mean I would have minded if she was...But she's too young y'know?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded understandingly "I uh...I get it..."

"Charlie!" Ruby finally exclaimed when she had finished choking.

"What?" Charlie questioned innocently "I was just asking. I mean it was possible..."

Ruby shook her head "Whatever" she glanced at Joey "Sorry for outing you"

"It's fine" Joey shrugged as she turned to Charlie "You don't um...mind do you?"

Ruby shot her a confused look but Charlie merely shook her head and smiled brightly "So what are we doing today?"

They fell back into the safe place of light conversation.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter's kind of short but the Story begins to progress quicker next chapter. I promise. Thank you all so much for your reviews. They're greatly appreciated :) **

Chapter 6 

Joey stirred slightly in her sleep as she became aware of restless movement from next to her. As the movement grew more obvious she blinked her eyes open sleepily and glanced to her right at Charlie who had finally settled lying on her back gazing at the dark silence. The older girl released a disgruntled sigh.

"Charlie?" Joey whispered shuffling slightly closer to the other girl.

Charlie looked towards her quickly "Sorry" she apologised "I didn't mean to wake you"

"It's fine" Joey responded placing a comforting hand on Charlie's arm "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep" Charlie stated quietly "It hurts"

Joey sat up in the bed "Do you want me to go get your pills?"

Charlie shook her head "You don't have to do that"

Joey rolled her eyes at the other girl "I know I don't _have _to...But I want to"

Charlie nodded "Thanks"

Joey quickly got up and left the room. Charlie pushed herself up in the bed and leaned against the headboard, wincing as she did so.

"This is ridiculous" she muttered to herself.

"What is?" Joey questioned nervously from the doorway.

Charlie jumped slightly as she glanced at Joey "That was quick"

Joey shrugged and stepped into the room a glass of water held in one hand and her fist clenched around a pill.

"So what's ridiculous?" she asked as she sat on the bed and handed Charlie the water and pain relief.

"Nothing" Charlie said quietly. She took the tablet quickly and waited for the effects to kick in.

"I still hurt" she muttered painfully a moment later.

"I think you need to wait for a while" Joey said with a small smile.

"Yeah well I've never been very patient" Charlie sighed.

Joey tilted her head slightly to the side and gazed at Charlie in unadulterated concern "Is there something else wrong? You seem...Weird..."

"I'm fine"

"You're not" Joey argued quietly.

"Fine, I'm not" Charlie admitted "But it doesn't matter Jo...Honestly"

"Well if you don't want to tell me..."

"That's not it!" Charlie exclaimed "It's just..." she sighed and raised a hand to her forehead feeling the beginning of a headache "I'm so _confused_ and this really hurts!"

"Why are you confused?" Joey asked softly.

"Flashbacks" Charlie murmured quietly.

Joey's eyed widened in panic "Flashbacks? Of what?!"

"I don't know" Charlie sighed "That's what's so damn confusing! They don't even make sense"

"What of?" Joey repeated.

"Ruby..." Charlie bit her lip in confusion "She was yelling at me...and then you were yelling something about Hugo and...It doesn't make sense"

Joey had visibly stiffened at the mention of Hugo but she reached forward and gripped Charlie's hand tightly in her own "It's okay...It'll make sense eventually"

Charlie exhaled noisily "I hope so"

"Are you still in pain?" Joey questioned after a moment breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"Not really" Charlie shrugged "I'm just _really _tired now"

"Then sleep" Joey stated obviously.

"I don't know if I should..." Charlie winced "The flashbacks..."

"I'll be right here" the younger girl soothed gently "You'll be fine okay?"

Charlie nodded as she lay down in the bed. She instinctively reached for Joey hand again and gripped it gently. Silence filled the room as both girls gazed at each other their faces mere inches from each other.

"Joey?" Charlie questioned sleepily as she began to blink rapidly, an evident sign that she was tired.

"Yeah?" Joey whispered.

"Why do I feel so much for you?" Charlie asked quietly.

Joey was saved from answering the question as Charlie's eyes slid shut and her breathing evened out into a steady rhythm

---

Joey woke up slowly from her deep sleep but didn't open her eyes content with the warm weight which had settled half on top of her. She eventually blinked her eyes open finding herself initially surprised by the dark hair which obscured her vision. She shifted slightly so she could see and looked down at Charlie who was snuggled against her side.

"This has the potentiality to be awkward for her" she whispered to herself. She allowed herself a moment to revel in the feeling of the embrace before she attempted to move from underneath the other girl.

"Ow" she muttered as she stood up flexing her arm in an attempt to rid herself of the prickling sensation of pins and needles. A quick glance at Charlie ensured her she was still sleeping and Joey slipped quietly from the room, closing the door gently behind her.

"Joey!"

Joey jumped and whirled around to face Ruby.

"Ruby!" she exclaimed "Do you have to do that?!"

"Yes" Ruby smirked as she followed Joey into the kitchen "You're up late"

"Didn't get much sleep" Joey sighed.

"Too much information Joey" Ruby cringed.

Joey rolled her eyes at the teen but couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks "Shut up Ruby" she poured herself a cup of coffee and slumped down at the table.

"What's wrong?" Ruby questioned her expression turning serious as she sat down next to Joey.

"Nothing" Joey sighed.

"You're lying" Ruby stated bluntly.

"Charlie was having flashbacks last night" Joey admitted softly "Of you yelling at her and me yelling at her about...Hugo"

"Oh" Ruby nodded understandingly. She remained silent for a moment and watched pensively as Joey sipped tentatively at the steaming hot coffee "And...?"

"What if she remembers?" Joey asked "What if she remembers that she was _with me?"_

"I don't see a problem" Ruby commented blankly "Why don't you just tell her?"

"Tell Her?!" Joey questioned in disbelief "I can't just _tell her!"_

"Why?" Ruby frowned in confusion.

"Because I can't!" Joey responded "She was freaked out enough by it before Ruby and what...What if she _really _freaks out? If I just come out with this I'm going to lose her..." Ruby rolled her eyes as Joey continued to babble "Anyway what if what she felt for me before was because of the situations we had faced together? What if she doesn't love me anymore?! I don't..."

Ruby shifted forward slightly and slapped Joey lightly.

"OW!" Joey exclaimed as she stopped talking and raised a hand to her slightly pink cheek "Was that really necessary?!"

"Yes" Ruby answered "You're being ridiculous Joey...Of course she still loves you. If you can't see that you're obviously not as smart as I thought you were"

Joey sighed "I still don't think I can tell her yet..."

"Tell who what?" Charlie questioned from the doorway.

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed as Charlie limped into the room "Are you okay?"

"Tell who what?" Charlie questioned looking from Ruby to Joey in suspicion "Are you two hiding something from me?"

"No" Joey answered instantly shaking her head "We were talking about uh...My ex..."

Ruby shook her head at Joey's lame lie but it went unnoticed by Charlie who was gazing at Joey closely.

"Hey" she said as she moved her hand gently to Joey's cheek "What happened?"

"Your sister slapped me" Joey answered shooting a smirk at Ruby.

"You did WHAT?!" Charlie questioned in disbelief as she turned her gaze to her sister.

"Uh..." Ruby gazed speechlessly at the older girl.

"It's alright" Joey smiled softly "I deserved it"

"You deserved to be slapped?" Charlie questioned "What did you do?"

"I didn't _do_ anything" Joey answered "I was just...It's complicated"

"Okay" Charlie nodded. The room fell into silence and Charlie pulled away blushing after a moment when she realised she still had her hand on Joey's cheek.

"Okaaay" Ruby drawled as she stood up "Well I'm going to get going?"

"Where to?" Charlie questioned in confusion.

"School" Ruby stated obviously.

"Oh"

"You two can keep yourselves entertained, right?" Ruby asked "You'll have much more fun without me" she winked at Joey and with a final wave she walked out.

Joey and Charlie glanced at each other awkwardly.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Charlie glanced nervously at Joey who was looking anywhere but at her.

"Sooo..." she said somewhat awkwardly "What should we do?"

Joey shrugged "I don't know...What do you _want _to do?"

"I asked you first" Charlie smiled in an attempt to break the tension which had settled between them.

"Fine" Joey grinned "We could go to the beach? Go out on the boat? I'm sure I could persuade Alf to lend me one for the day"

"Okay" Charlie nodded "Let's do that" she moved to get up but winced at the sharp pain which shot through her abdomen.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Joey questioned in concern "I you're in too much pain we can just stay here"

"That's boring" Charlie pointed out.

"At least you won't be in pain" Joey countered.

"I'll be fine...Really"

"Okay" Joey nodded reluctantly "But you have to take your pain pills before we leave okay?"

"But they make me tired!" Charlie practically whined "Anyway Rachel says I shouldn't take many of them"

Joey sighed "Fine but we're taking them with us just in case"

"Okay" Charlie agreed quietly. She stood up slowly from her chair and motioned towards the bedroom "I'm going to go...get changed"

Joey nodded and stood from her own chair. She moved around the table so that she was standing directly in front of Charlie "Do you need any help? I mean just...to get there? Not to actually..." she blushed profusely and turned her gaze from Charlie's.

"I'm fine" Charlie smiled finding the girls blush surprisingly endearing "Joey?"

"Yeah?" Joey turned her attention back to Charlie.

"Thanks...for offering" Charlie leaned forward slightly and placed a tender kiss on the younger girls' cheek. She pulled away and smiled when she noticed that Joey had her eyes closed and her blush had intensified.

She moved towards the bedroom with a spring in her step even though she was still limping.

---

"Damn it!" Charlie cursed as she leaned heavily on her uninjured foot and failed for the fifth time to pull her shirt off. She sighed indignantly and took a deep breath to calm herself before she tried again.

"Fucking hell!" she swore as she knocked the alarm clock of the bedside table "This is great...This is just freaking great!"

"Charlie?" Joey called as a soft knock sounded on the door. She entered a moment later with her hand firmly over her eyes "Are you okay?"

"No" Charlie huffed. She glanced at Joey and smiled "You can open your eyes"

Joey moved her hand from her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on the floor "What happened?"

"I knocked it off" Charlie stated the obvious.

"How?" Joey frowned.

"I couldn't...." Charlie exhaled in exasperation "I mean I can't get this stupid shirt off..."

"Oh" The younger girl said quietly in realisation "Do you uh...need any help?" she grinned mischievously at Charlie but couldn't deny the nervous fluttering in her stomach "I promise I won't peek"

Charlie returned the smile "Thanks Jo...I know I'm being a bit of a pain and all..."

"Hey" Joey cut her off quietly "its fine okay? I'm here because I _want_ to be remember? I'll do anything you need...got it?"

"Got it" Charlie whispered.

"Okay" Joey said as she stepped forward and placed her hands on Charlie's waist "You ready?"

Charlie nodded almost imperceptibly and Joey slowly helped her pull the shirt over her head.

"This feels familiar" Charlie smiled flirtatiously as Joey threw the shirt onto the bed and grabbed another one "Do we do this a lot Ms. Collins?"

Joey blushed brightly as she grabbed the other shirt off the bed for Charlie "Charlie..." she helped the other girl pull the shirt on and stepped back.

"Sorry" Charlie laughed "I just think it's incredibly cute when you blush"

As if on cue the blush on the younger girls cheeks brightened.

---

"Charlie!" Joey said in a warning voice.

"Joey!" Charlie mimicked.

"You said you would take them if you were in pain"

"Who says I'm in pain?" Charlie questioned innocently.

"Seriously?!" Joey rolled her eyes "You almost doubled over in pain two minutes ago"

"It was just a twinge" Charlie countered.

"I know when you're lying" Joey pointed out "I'm not stupid y'know"

"I didn't say you were!" Charlie sighed "I just don't want to take the stupid pills okay?!"

"Fine" Joey muttered as she stood up "Do whatever you want" she began to walk away across the deck.

"Joey" Charlie reached out and caught the other girls wrist "I'm sorry, okay?" she stood up slowly and slipped her hand down to grasp Joey's hand "I just don't like taking them"

"But you have to" Joey said softly "You're hurting Charlie, I know you are and I..."

"What?" Charlie whispered.

Joey took Charlie's other hand in her free one "I hate to see you in pain, okay?"

"I'll take the pill" Charlie conceded "I'm sorry...I was just being stubborn"

"It's okay" Joey whispered. They stood there for a moment longer until Joey attempted to pull away. Charlie tightened her hold on the other girl's hands.

"Jo?"

"Uh-huh?" Joey asked expectantly.

"We've done this before, haven't we?" Charlie raised their joined hands slightly "On this boat?"

"Yeah we have" Joey answered hoarsely.

"I'm guessing I ran away?" Charlie questioned "It seems like something I would have done"

Joey nodded numbly "Are you going to run now?"

"No" Charlie smiled softly "There's nowhere to run..." indeed they were surrounded by the clear blue of the water "And I wouldn't anyway"

"Why?"

"Why?" Charlie repeated "Because I don't want to run from you. Before the accident..."

Joey stayed silent as Charlie trailed off.

"We were in love...Weren't we?" Charlie asked softly.

"Yeah" Joey nodded slightly tearful "We were"

"I still love you" the older girl whispered sincerely

"But you don't know me" Joey responded quietly.

"I know enough" Charlie smiled "Anyway...My love for you isn't in my head..." she pulled Joey's hand to her chest "It's in my heart...That hasn't changed. Do you still Love me Jo?"

"Of course I do" Joey answered.

"Then we have our answer"

"To what question?" Joey asked.

"Who cares?" Charlie smiled as she began to lean forward slowly. She swallowed softly and released her grip on Joey's hands to slip her arms around the younger girl's waist. She hesitated for a moment before she closed her eyes and pressed a tender kiss to Joey's lips.

"I missed you so much" Joey whispered when they pulled away. She pulled Charlie back to her and kissed her softly allowing her hand to run through the other girl's soft dark hair.

---

"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed as she rushed into the living room "did you guys...Whoa!" she closed her eyes and spun away from Charlie and Joey.

They both pulled away from the kiss to look at Ruby.

"Sorry for interrupting" Ruby grinned "So I assume you guys worked it out?"

"Yeah" Charlie said as Ruby turned back around to face them "About that Rubz....Are you..."

"I'm fine with it" Ruby interrupted her "I'm happy for both of you...Really"

"Really?" Charlie questioned glancing from Ruby to Joey and back again "Wait...Is this what you were both being so secretive about?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded "Somebody..." she shot a look towards Joey "Was being a chicken"

"I was not!" Joey defended "I was being..." she trailed off "Okay maybe I was..."

"So you're okay with it?" Charlie asked again causing Ruby to roll her eyes "I mean...Really?"

"Yes" Ruby nodded "I'm not going to say that I didn't have a little bit of difficulty wi..."

"Yeah" Joey grinned "Your sister was being a bit of a ho..."

"Don't say it!" Ruby exclaimed holding up a hand to stop her "I was not being homophobic. I was being..." she looked to be in contemplation for a moment before she spoke up again "Homo-sister-phobic"

"You're weird" Joey commented bluntly.

Ruby stuck her tongue out at her before turning back to Charlie "Anyway I'm fine with it"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled as she stood up and pulled her sister into a hug.

"It's fine" Ruby shrugged as Charlie released her.

Charlie glanced at Joey "I'll just be a minute okay? Then we can head out..." she began to walk away but stopped halfway and turned to Ruby "Oh Rubz I almost forgot to ask...Do you want to come with us?"

"I don't want to get in the way..." Ruby smiled.

"You won't be!" Joey argued.

"Well if you're sure..."

"We are" Charlie nodded as she began to head towards her bedroom "We'll leave in ten minutes okay?!"

"Okay" Ruby and Joey responded in unison as they watched Charlie leave.

"Soo..." Ruby grinned as she sat down next to Joey and nudged her gently "I told you so"

"Yeah, whatever" Joey smiled.

"Does she remember everything?" Ruby asked "About you guys? How did she take the Hugo thing? I know that isn't something she would have liked to remember..."

"Uh...She doesn't know about that"

"She doesn't know?!" the younger girl exclaimed.

Joey nodded "And that's the way I intend to keep it"

"You can't keep this from her!" Ruby insisted.

"Yes I can"

"You can't!"

"I can!"

"No you really can't!"

"Yes I REALLY can"

"You're so immature" Ruby sighed.

"I am not!" Joey said forcefully "Look Ruby if she finds out...It's just going to hurt her...You don't want that _do you?"_

"That was low" Ruby narrowed her eyes at Joey "You know I don't want that!"

"Then she shouldn't know!" Joey stated obviously.

"What if she finds out by herself?!"

"Finds out what?" Charlie questioned from the doorway.

"Uh..."

"Who finds out what?" Charlie repeated as she moved into the room "Are you two talking about me again?"

"No" Joey shook her head "It's just..."

"Her ex" Ruby finished as Joey trailed off.

"Oh" Charlie frowned "is everything okay?"

"Yeah!" Joey said brightly as she stood up "So are you both ready to go?" she moved out of the room not waiting for their answer.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Ruby" Joey growled tightening her grip on the edge of the table "Give it back!"

"No" Ruby grinned shaking her head adamantly as she held the offending letter in her hand.

"Ruby!" Joey said calmly "Just give me the letter back"

"Okay" Ruby said. She held the letter out over the table but when Joey attempted to grab it she pulled it back quickly "Ha!"

"You're not funny" the older girl commented dryly.

"Sure I am" Ruby shrugged "You're just not seeing my humour right now"

"Ruuuuby!" Joey practically whined "Give it BACK!"

"No" The teenager responded "How do you know she wants you to read it?"

"It has my name on it" Joey stated "which means she wanted me to read it"

"Not really" Ruby persisted "Maybe it's one of those closure letters...y'know?"

Joey gazed back at her blankly and shook her head.

"She might have written it to you but she may not want you to read it"

"That doesn't make sense!" Joey exclaimed in exasperation.

"Anyway she doesn't remember" Ruby continued "Which means that she has no idea she wrote it...What if there's something in this letter..." she waved the letter around for emphasis "Which causes problems between you two?"

"There won't be!" Joey responded surely.

"Curiosity killed the cat" Ruby shrugged.

Joey exhaled heavily "Can I just have it back?"

"Nope" Ruby answered.

"But...What if she finds it and reads it?"

Ruby returned her gaze blankly "And...?"

"She'll find out what happened!" Joey exclaimed.

"She's going to find out anyway" Ruby responded "She'll remember eventually...What are you going to say then?!"

"Why are you so against me on this?!" Joey questioned in confusion "I just don't want to hurt her...If she knows what she did..."

"Lies aren't a healthy thing to build a relationship on" Ruby muttered "What if she finds out that you lied to her about it?"

Joey remained silent for a moment before she spoke up "And what if she finds out what _I_ did?"

"What you did?" Ruby echoed perplexedly.

"Would she have been out that night if she hadn't been so upset?" Joey asked pointedly.

"That wasn't your fault"

"It was my fault!" Joey stressed "Now can I have the letter back?!"

"No" Ruby answered.

"Ruby!" The older girl exclaimed in annoyance.

Ruby shrugged "It could be private..."

"It has my name on it!" Joey stated motioning towards the letter in Ruby's hand "That means I should be able to read it!"

"Nope" Ruby smiled.

Joey sighed dramatically before her expression hardened in resolve and she tensed.

"Joey..." Ruby said as Joey moved slightly to the left "What are you..." she stopped and moved to the left away from Joey who had begun to advance around the table towards her.

"Ruby" Joey said in a low voice "Give it to me"

"No" Ruby shook her head "What if Charlie d..." she trailed off and squeaked in surprise when Joey moved unbelievably quickly towards her. She managed to move just in time to avoid being caught.

"Hey!" she stated "that was cheating!"

"I didn't mention rules" Joey grinned "Now how about you give me that back?!"

"How about..." Ruby pretended to think for a moment "not?"

"You're infuriating" Joey commented.

Ruby smirked at her "It must be catching"

Joey huffed disdainfully and crossed her arms in front of her.

"What are you two yelling about?" Charlie questioned as she entered the kitchen with her hand pressed to her side.

"Nothing" Ruby said innocently as she quickly tucked the letter into her back pocket. She moved to her sister's side and smirked at Joey.

"I get the impression that you two are hiding something from me" Charlie said softly as she sunk down on a chair wincing in pain as she did so.

Joey shook her head "No we're not...Nothing important anyway"

"Nothing important?" Charlie repeated "Does that mean you are definitely hiding something?"

"No" Joey answered. She glanced down at Charlie's hand which was still pressed to her side "What's wrong?"

"It just hurts a bit" Charlie shrugged as Joey kneeled down in front of her "Joey it's not..."

Joey moved Charlie's hand and frowned "You're bleeding"

"Bleeding?" Ruby questioned in slight panic as she moved to stand next to Joey. She glanced at the red mark on her sister's shirt and gestured to the door "I'll get the first aid..."

Joey nodded and watched Ruby leave.

"So are you?" Charlie questioned "Keeping something from me?"

"I'm not" Joey whispered "We were just...arguing about something stupid. Don't worry about it. We do that a lot"

Charlie smiled softly "Yeah, I noticed"

Joey shrugged "Can I..."

"Go for it" Charlie grinned "No peeking though, remember?"

Joey rolled her eyes at the older girl before pulling Charlie's shirt up gently "looks like you've reopened a cut...It should be fine though...It's not too deep..."

"Good" Charlie stated "Does that mean I can get up now?"

"No" Joey smiled "You have to wait until Ruby brings the f..."

"First aid!" Ruby exclaimed as she re-entered the room. She handed the box to Joey and stepped back.

"Thanks" Joey said as she pulled the antiseptic spray out of the box "This is going to hurt a bit but..." she smiled flirtatiously at Charlie "you can hold my hand if you want"

Charlie took Joey's hand in her own and winked "Is this just an excuse to hold my hand?"

"You caught me" Joey said in mock disappointment as she sprayed the antiseptic. Charlie winced slightly but didn't say anything.

"You two are sickeningly sweet" Ruby commented as she watched Joey apply a bandage to her sister's side "It's a good thing neither of you are diabetic"

Charlie stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"Real mature Charlie" Ruby grinned.

"There!" Joey exclaimed as she stood up "You're all done!"

"Thank you" Charlie smiled as she tugged Joey down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"And on that note..." Ruby mumbled.

Charlie pulled away from Joey and stood up "Meet me in the living room, Okay?"

"Okay" Joey grinned goofily as she watched Charlie walk from the room.

"So I'm going to go..." Ruby said gesturing to the door "Leave you guys to...Do whatever...".

As she turned around and started for the door Joey spotted a white pieceyu54e of paper half protruding from her back pocket. She moved forward as quickly and quietly as she could and pulled it out before the other girl had a chance to react.

"Hey"" Ruby exclaimed as she spun around "Do you...That's cheating!"

"As I said" Joey smiled smugly "There are no rules...Now if you don't mind..." she placed the letter securely in her pocket "I have to go see your sister" with that she turned around and walked away leaving Ruby gaping after her.

---

"Hey" Joey smiled warmly as she dropped onto the couch and wrapped an arm around Charlie.

"Hey" Charlie grinned pulling the other girl forward and kissing her passionately. Though she was slightly surprised Joey returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm.

"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly when she pulled away.

"I just wanted to kiss you" Charlie stated simply "Is that a crime?"

"Not at all" Joey answered "Feel free to do it again..." she kissed Charlie Chastely "And again..."

"So I was wondering..." Charlie said slightly nervously as she pulled away by a fraction to look at Joey.

"What?" The younger girl asked as she entwined her hand with Charlie's.

"Do you want to go out with me tonight?" Charlie asked.

"Are you asking me out on a date Senior Constable Buckton?" Joey teased.

"Yeah" Charlie answered apprehensively.

"Well than...I couldn't possibly say no to you"

"Good" Charlie smiled as she leaned her head on Joey's shoulder.

"Charlie?" Joey whispered after a moment.

"Mmhm?" Charlie mumbled.

"I was thinking..." Joey said quietly "Are you sure you're okay with all of this? With us?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "Why wouldn't I be?"

Joey shrugged "You weren't this okay with it before..."

"I wasn't?" Charlie frowned.

Joey shook her head "No..."

"I don't know why" Charlie sighed "I guess I just have a feeling that I shouldn't let anything get in the way of being with you..."

"Oh" Joey smiled "Okay" she shifted slightly, suddenly intensely aware of the letter in her pocket.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry about the lateness of the chapter as well as the shortness and lack of action but I promise It's going to get more dramatic soon. Thank you all so much for the reviews. It sounds cliché but they really inspire me to keep writing :)**

Chapter 9 

"Okay" Charlie took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves "It's just a date...Why am I so worried about a date?" she looked into the mirror and pushed a strand of long, dark hair behind her ear "And it's with Joey so it'll be fine..."

"Talking to yourself?" a voice sounded from the doorway "Isn't that the first sign of insanity?"

Charlie jumped slightly and whirled around to see Ruby leaning casually on the doorframe "Rubz..."

"Hey" Ruby grinned as she entered the room and slumped down on the bed "What are you doing? Don't you have a hot date tonight?"

"Uh...Yeah" Charlie replied hesitantly.

"You don't sound sure" Ruby observed quietly. She leaned forward and braced her head on her hands, giving Charlie her undivided attention "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's...wrong" Charlie sighed moving to sit next to her sister on the bed.

"Then why do you look like you're about to have a heart attack?" Ruby questioned disbelievingly.

"I don't know how to do this..." the older girl admitted softly.

"Do what? Date?" Ruby asked incredulously "Of course you do"

"Not date...I've never done this with a girl before..." Charlie mumbled.

"Oh" Ruby nodded in understanding "So you're freaking out..."

"Maybe a little bit?" Charlie frowned "I don't know...What if I'm not ready for this?"

"But you've done all of this before" Ruby stated obviously "And...It's _Joey_"

"I can't remember anything about before..." Charlie exhaled deeply and slumped backwards on the bed.

Ruby turned and narrowed in consideration "What are you _really_ worried about?"

"I don't even know!" Charlie exclaimed, frustration colouring her tone "It's just..." she sat up and swiped a hand irritably over her eyes "She remembers all of this stuff and for me everything feels like the first time. I don't know where we are in our relationship or...or what she expects and how do I know that she doesn't expect something I'm not ready for or..."

"Charlz!" Ruby reached out to her sister and grasped her hand tightly. She smiled reassuringly "Calm down okay? You sound like you're about to start hyperventilating!"

Charlie took a deep breath before she looked back towards her sister and smiled apologetically, a pink tint creeping up her cheeks "I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be talking to you about all of this stuff"

"Why not?" Ruby frowned "I'm your sister. You should be able to talk about this stuff with me...right?"

"Right" Charlie agreed softly "But I'm sure you don't want to know about uh...y'know"

"Uh-huh" Ruby nodded thoughtfully "But you know you can talk to me about whatever you want, right? And while I may not be able to help you...In _that _area I still know Joey so...Talk away" she smiled brightly.

"Uh..." Charlie appeared at a sudden loss for what to say.

"Okay" Ruby said "You were saying something about Joey expecting too much?"

"I remember hardly anything about our relationship" Charlie responded "What if she expects us to just pick up where we left off?"

"Hopefully not" Ruby muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Hmmn?" Ruby hummed "Oh! Nothing. It's just...Are we still talking about the same Joey?"

Charlie stayed silent and merely shrugged at her sister.

"Joey would never push you into doing something you aren't ready for. She loves you too much to do that. And if she did...She'd have me to answer to"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled.

"No problem"

"Hey" Charlie said suddenly "When did you get all 'Big sister' on me anyway? That's my job"

Ruby shrugged "I'm only a fill in"

Charlie moved forward and pulled her sister into a tight hug "What would I do without you?" she mumbled.

Ruby pulled away and grinned at her sister "Well for starters Joey would still be trying to tell you that she's gay and you would still be panicking..." she nodded to herself "So I say you would suffer endlessly."

"Yeah" Charlie smiled "You're probably right...Thanks Rubz"

Ruby tilted her head slightly in consideration of her sister "But I'm not all that great..." she spoke slightly more seriously "I could have been way more supportive when I found out about you and Joey...Maybe if I had you wouldn't have s..." Ruby trailed off at the realisation of what she was about to reveal.

"Wouldn't have what?" Charlie frowned.

"Uh...Nothing?" Unfortunately for Ruby her answer came out as more of a question.

"C'mon Rubz" Charlie prodded curiously "What did I do?"

"I don't know"

"You obviously do know or you wouldn't have said anything..."

"I...uh..." Ruby bit her lip and looked around as if looking for an escape route "Charlie..."

"Why do I always feel like you and Joey are keeping something from me?" Charlie asked quietly.

"I'm not!" Ruby exclaimed "It's not something that _I'm _keeping from you...It's just something you have to remember by yourself..."

"But..."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Ruby asked already moving towards the door.

"Ruby..."

Charlie trailed off as Ruby turned around and practically ran from the room.

_What the hell is going on with her?_ She thought to herself.

---

Ruby breathed a sigh of relief as she closed her sister's bedroom door behind her "That was close..."

"What was close?"

Ruby jumped and whirled around to see Joey standing behind her "Damn it Joey!"

"What?" Joey asked innocently as she moved into the room and sat down on the couch.

"Nothing" Ruby sighed moving further into the room.

"What's wrong?" Joey questioned in concern "Did something happen?"

"No...I mean Yes. It did" Ruby bit her lip nervously "I kind of slipped with the whole 'not telling Charlie' thing"

"What?!" Joey exclaimed "Does she know?"

"No" the younger girl answered shaking her head "But she knows that we're keeping something from her..."

"Okay" Joey sighed "That's okay. It's fine. We just have to makes sure she doesn't find out"

"We?!" Ruby repeated "No...No way"

"Ruby..."

"I'm not keeping this from her Joey. I refuse to lie to her!"

"It'll stop her from getting hurt" Joey responded firmly "If she finds out..."

"When she finds out" Ruby corrected "She's going to be pissed that we lied to her"

"Fine" Joey mumbled in defeat "I'll tell her. But...not yet, okay?"

"Whatever" Ruby muttered darkly.

"C'mon Ruby!" Joey said pleadingly "I'm just trying to do the right thing...It's not like I like lying to her!"

"I know" Ruby replied softly "I'm sorry..." she took a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily to centre herself before looking back at Joey "So are you ready for your date?"

"I don't know..." Joey glanced down at herself. She had nervously chosen to wear form fitting jeans and a red low cut red shirt "Do I look ready?"

"Hell yeah" Ruby grinned "I'd say Charlie will definitely like"

"Thanks" Joey blushed brightly. They fell into silence for a moment before Ruby spoke up again.

"Joey?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You'll look after her right?" Ruby asked "I mean she's still hurt from the attack..."

"Of course I will" Joey nodded sincerely.

"Of course you will what?"

Both Ruby and Joey looked towards the doorway and Joey's jaw dropped slightly at the sight of her girlfriend "Wow..."

"Good wow?" Charlie grinned as Joey stood up.

"Definitely good wow" Joey mumbled before she began to lean forward. Charlie stopped her however with a finger to her lips.

"Wouldn't that be breaking some kind of date etiquette?"

Joey shrugged and smiled charmingly "But I _really_ wanna kiss you"

"I guess you'll have to wait" Charlie whispered.

---

"So..." Charlie said quietly as she sipped at her drink "How am I doing so far?"

"What?" Joey laughed "You want a score out of 10?"

"If possible" Charlie smiled "I was kind of nervous...If you can't tell..."

"You've been absolutely perfect" Joey responded. She pulled Charlie's hand up and kissed it gently "Best date ever."

"Yeah?" Charlie smiled as she leaned forward so they were mere centimetres apart "You look great by the way...I may have forgotten to tell you..."

"You've only told me three or four times" Joey giggled.

"Not enough" Charlie said softly as she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Joey's lips. Joey was slightly surprised at the public display but returned the kiss anyway.

"So you worked it out than?" a male voice sounded from in front of them. They both pulled away and looked up.

"Hugo..." Joey mumbled as she reached for Charlie's hand and held it tightly "What do you want?!"

Hugo shrugged "I was just passing by...thought I'd say Hi..."

"Right" Joey narrowed her eyes at him.

"For what it's worth" the man said attempting to appear sincere "I'm glad you both worked it out..."

Charlie frowned in confusion "Joey..."

"We were just going" Joey interrupted Charlie as she stood up pulling her with her "Bye Hugo" with that she moved quickly away from the man. She only slowed down when she and Charlie were outside.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked in confusion "What was he talking about, Joey?"

"The attack" Joey answered softly "I guess he heard about it..."

"Oh..." Charlie nodded as they continued walking. They walked in mutually comfortable silence until they reached the door to the house.

"So I guess this is it?" Joey smiled charmingly.

"You live with us, remember?" Charlie grinned as she pulled Joey closer to her "So nope...This isn't _it_"

"I know" Joey laughed "I'm just trying to make this date seem as normal as possible"

"That's sweet" Charlie spoke softly as she trailed a finger down the other girl's cheek.

Joey grinned and shrugged "That's me"

"Uh-huh" Charlie nodded moving slightly closer "Were you planning on kissing me at all tonight?"

"Well..." Joey smiled "I definitely planned on it. I'm thinking now would be a good time to put my plan into action..." she leaned up and kissed the other girl passionately. Neither of them noticed the shadow which lurked just around the corner.

"I'll make you pay for what you did Joey..." with that he turned and walked away.

"Did you hear something?" Charlie gasped breathlessly as she pulled away from the kiss.

"I didn't hear anything" Joey stated before she pulled Charlie back to her. After a moment Charlie pulled away and opened the door glancing around nervously. They moved into the house and shut the door securely behind them though they remained unaware of the dangers which hid in the darkness.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, Thank you once again for all of the reviews. I really appreciate them. **

**Oh and this is kind of random but I just wanted y'all to know that I probably won't be writing an um...Love scene (As in sex scene lol...I'll most likely just hint at it) because I've never attempted to write one before and I may be really bad at it. Unless of course anyone really **_**wants**_** me to write one in which case I might consider embarrassing myself :) **

**So yeah...Hope you all enjoy this chapter...**

Chapter 10

"Hey" Joey smiled softly as she slipped her arms around Charlie's waist and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder "You're up early"

"Not really" Charlie responded as she leaned back into Joey's embrace and released a relieved smile "its 9am"

"Mmhmn" Joey nodded "It's also Saturday"

Charlie turned around in Joey's embrace and grinned at her "Admit it Collins. You just want me in your bed"

"Hmmn" Joey smiled brightly "You could be right there"

"Oh I know I'm right" Charlie whispered flirtatiously as she leaned even closer to Joey "Jo?"

"Uh-huh?" the younger girl asked distractedly against Charlie's lips.

"I'm going out for a while" Charlie pulled back slightly.

"Huh?" Joey opened her eyes to look at Charlie "But...you...I..." she pouted when Charlie burst into giggles "That was incredibly mean of you"

"I'm sorry" Charlie apologised unable to stop the smile that tugged at her lips "You're just too easy sometimes"

"I'm easy?" Joey questioned raising an eyebrow at her girlfriend "Are you calling me a slut?"

"What?!" Charlie's eyes widened in shock "No! I didn't mean _that_ kind of easy. I just meant..." she stopped when she noticed that Joey was attempting to suppress a grin "You're messing with me..."

"Guilty" Joey shrugged "But it serves you right for teasing me"

"Yeah, Yeah" Charlie grumbled light-heartedly "I really do have to go out for a while"

"Why do you have to?" Joey questioned softly as she stepped closer to Charlie leaving no space between them "You could just stay here"

"As tempting as that is...I can't..."

"You're no fun" Joey whispered, tightening her hold slightly on the older girl.

"That's not true" Charlie protested "I'm _very_ fun. You just don't know it yet"

"If ya say so" Joey shook her head in amusement "So where are you going?"

"Just for a run down to the beach" Charlie answered "I'm feeling kind of claustrophobic in here"

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Joey asked in concern "You only got out of the hospital like a week ago. You might hu..."

Charlie cut her off with a soft kiss "Stop worrying so much"

"Are you going to kiss me every time I worry?" Joey smiled "Because if you are I think I..."

"Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me" Charlie spoke softly.

"Demanding...I like that" Joey grinned before she pulled Charlie forward slightly and kissed her passionately.

"Woah" Charlie gasped when they finally pulled away "Okay I have to go now"

"Fine" Joey pouted "Go"

"I'll be back soon" Charlie promised as she leaned forward and kissed Joey tenderly. She pushed the younger girl gently away from her and moved towards the door "I love you!"

"I love you too" Joey called out watching Charlie leave the house. Her mind flashed back to the letter hidden safely in her room and she smiled to herself.

"Why should we dwell in the past?" she mumbled to herself.

---

"Charlie!" a male voice sounded.

Charlie came to a stop and turned around to see Hugo jogging towards her.

"Great" she muttered under her breath.

"Hey" the man grinned as he stopped next to her breathing slightly heavier than normal.

"Hi" Charlie smiled politely as they began to walk slowly down the beach.

"How have you been?" Hugo questioned feigning concern "I haven't seen you since before the accident and we didn't really have a chance to talk when I saw you a couple of days ago..."

"I've been okay" Charlie shrugged "Everything's healing okay"

"Uh-huh" Hugo nodded as he stuffed his hands into his pockets "What about you and Joey? How are you two doing?"

"We're fine" Charlie answered firmly confused at Hugo inquisitiveness "Great actually. Everything's going really great now"

"Yeah?" Hugo asked "That's...good. I must have been hard for both of you after what happened..."

"After what happened?" Charlie echoed in confusion "You mean the attack?"

"No" Hugo shook his head "You know what I mean...Before the attack. It must have taken her a while to forgive you after what you did"

"What the hell are you talking about Hugo?!" Charlie exclaimed in annoyance as she stopped "What did I do?!"

"You don't know?" Hugo questioned in surprise. He stepped back slightly and narrowed his eyes at her "Joey didn't tell you? What about your sister, didn't she tell you?"

"Tell me what?!" Charlie questioned irritably "You're really annoying me!"

Hugo didn't appear to be listening to her as he nodded to himself and rubbed thoughtfully at the stubble on his chin "Yeah...This makes sense now. That must have been why Joey didn't want you to talk to me..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Charlie huffed indignantly.

Hugo's eyes finally met hers "I don't know why she wouldn't have told you though..."

"TOLD ME WHAT?!" Charlie yelled. She quietened her voice down in an attempt to draw attention away from them "What did I do Hugo?"

Hugo shrugged "I'm not going to tell you if you don't already know" he took a step back and grinned smugly at her "Later Charlie" he winked at her before he turned and rushed off.

Charlie kicked at the sand irritably and exhaled deeply "Could he be anymore childish?"

---

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed as Charlie entered the living room "You're back"

"Yep" Charlie nodded stiffly as she slumped down onto the couch "It seems like it"

Joey frowned at her girlfriends rather dramatic change in mood "What's wrong?" she took the other girls hand only to have her pull away almost instantly.

"Nothing" Charlie shook her head "Absolutely"

"Riiiight" Joey sat back slightly and looked at Charlie in disbelief "I'm not stupid Charlie. And I'm not blind either. I know that something's wrong!"

"Are you hiding something from me again?!" Charlie blurted out "Is there something that you're not telling me Joey?!"

"Uh..." Joey was silent for a moment before she regained the power of speech "Why would you think that I'm hiding something from you?"

"I ran into Hugo at the beach" Charlie finally looked towards Joey "He seems to think that you're not telling me something"

Joey shook her head hesitantly "I'm...Not..."

"Right" Charlie nodded "I don't believe you"

"Charlie..."

"Joey!" Charlie snapped as she stood up "I know that you're keeping something from me. I've suspected it for a long time what with you and Ruby always being so..._secretive" _

"But..."

"If you decide that you want to stop lying to me" Charlie interrupted "I'll be around somewhere. But I can't be around here right now..."

"Charlie, wait!" Joey yelled as she watched the other girl leave "Damn it..."

----

"Shit..." Joey swore as she searched through her Jacket pockets frantically "Where the hell is it...?!" she looked up when she heard the door slam shut and rushed out of the bedroom "Charlie?!"

"Nope" Ruby shook her head as she sunk down onto the couch "It's just me" she glanced up at Joey and frowned in concern "What's wrong?"

"She knows that we're keeping something from her!" Joey exclaimed in panic.

Ruby shook her head "This has nothing to do with me. I'm all for telling her. You however..."

"Ruby!" Joey exclaimed.

Ruby looked at the other girl closely to see she was close to tears.

"Okay" she sighed "Just calm down okay Joey?"

"I can't calm down!" Joey responded as she began to pace "She saw Hugo and he told her that I'm keeping something from her and she left a few hours ago. I went to look for her but I couldn't find her and I don't even know if she's been back and...."

"Whoa!" Ruby held up a hand "Joey you really need to calm down!"

"I...Where is the letter?!" Joey questioned suddenly.

"Letter?" Ruby echoed blankly "What letter?"

"You know..._the_ letter" Joey answered "The letter she wrote me when I left"

"I don't know" Ruby shrugged "I thought you had it"

"I did" Joey nodded "But I didn't read it. And now it's gone"

The teenager exhaled deeply and stood up. She pushed Joey gently down onto the couch "You need to calm down..."

"I am calm!" Joey responded slightly hysterical.

"You call this calm?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Fine" Joey took a deep breath and looked up at Ruby "What do we do?"

"Why are you asking me?" Ruby questioned "I don't know..."

"What if she finds out?" Joey stressed.

"What is she going to do?" Ruby asked incredulously "Leave you because _she _cheated on you?!"

"She might leave me because I lied to her" Joey offered quietly.

"Would now be a bad time to say I told you so?" Ruby inquired "You shouldn't have kept this from her..."

"Not helping" Joey groaned.

"Sorry" Ruby apologised "I was just saying though..."

"I need to tell her myself" Joey said firmly "I need to find that damn letter..."

"This letter?" Charlie's voice sounded.

"Charlie..." Joey stood up next to Ruby "You didn't read that, did you?"

"Why shouldn't I have read it?" Charlie questioned softly "I did write it after all, right?"

"You read it..." Joey muttered in realisation.

"Yeah, I did" Charlie confirmed slightly tearful "So this is what you were both keeping from me?" she looked directly into Joey's pain filled eyes "That I was screwing around?"

"Charlie..." Joey stepped forward.

"Stop!" Charlie spoke firmly shaking her head "I don't deserve your sympathy Joey. I don't deserve anything from you..."

Ruby looked up at them as her mind flashed back to before Joey had returned.

"_Stop!" Charlie exclaimed as she pulled away and practically leaped off the bed "Stop it...I don't deserve comfort or...or sympathy! It's all my fault..."_

"I didn't want you to find out like this..." Joey spoke up in a choked voice "I didn't..."

"You didn't want me to find out at all" Charlie countered painfully "I don't know how you could stand to be with me after what I did to you...And I can't believe that you didn't tell me..." she turned her gaze to her sister "You knew?"

Ruby nodded numbly "Yeah"

"But it wasn't her fault!" Joey defended quietly "I made her keep it from you...This is _my fault_"

"No" Charlie shook her head causing unshed tears to cascade down her cheeks "This is nobody's fault but my own..." she closed her eyes momentarily before she looked back at her girlfriend and her sister "I have to go...I need to think..."

"Charlie wait!" Joey yelled for the second time that day as Charlie rushed away from them. She sighed when Charlie ignored her.

"Joey!" suddenly Ruby was right next to her clutching her hand in a vice like grip "You can't let her go! It's really dark and...There's a psycho out there!"

"Fuck!" Joey swore before she pulled her hand from Ruby's and rushed after Charlie.

"Wait...Joey!" Ruby yelled "I didn't mean..." she exhaled heavily and sank down on the couch feeling the beginning of a headache "This is just great!"

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you all so much for the reviews. I really do appreciate your comments. **

**This Chapter is Rated M...More of a hard 'R' but I'm saying M (Nc-17) to be safe for sexual content (Blame purplemonkeyys lol...Thank you for the encouragement to write that particular scene by the way)**

**I'm sorry to all of you if the 'love scene' is really bad by the way...It's my first attempt...**

**Thank you all again for all of your support :) **

Chapter 11 

"Charlie!" Joey yelled breathlessly as she pushed herself to run faster after the girl who was practically sprinting along the beach "Wait! Charlie!" she groaned when Charlie merely ignored her "Damn she's fast..." she gritted her teeth and forced herself to maintain her speed. Charlie finally began to slow from exertion and Joey managed to catch up to her, practically tackling her to the ground.

"OW!" Charlie exclaimed as Joey straddled her "Was that really necessary Joey?"

Joey didn't reply for a moment and the only sound was her heavy breathing mixed with Charlie's.

"Yes" she finally panted, blowing a strand of dark hair from her face "It was"

"Joey" Charlie struggled half-heartedly underneath the other girl, tears still spilling down her cheeks "Get off me"

"No" Joey said softly "If I let you go you'll run off and I'm not going to let you run from me. Not again" she reached down to wipe Charlie's tears away but the older girl instantly recoiled from her touch.

"You mean like I did the last time?" Charlie questioned sharply "By screwing somebody else?!"

Joey flinched visibly at the harshness of her girlfriend's voice "Charlie..."

"Joey, get off!" Charlie demanded weakly. She winced slightly in pain.

"Am I hurting you?" Joey asked in concern.

"Why do you care?!" Charlie muttered quietly as she finally stopped struggling "Will you get off me now?"

"If I do will you promise not to run?" Joey countered.

"Fine. I promise"

Joey didn't move for a moment instead gazing into Charlie's eyes searching for any hint that she was lying. When she saw only guilt and sorrow reflected back at her she hesitantly stood up, trying not to hurt Charlie any more with the movement. She was about to offer her hand to Charlie but the other girl was already scrambling to her feet and moving a safe distance away from her.

"I thought you said you weren't going to run off" Joey spoke, taking a step forward.

"Yeah, well..." Charlie shrugged, wiping roughly at her tear stained cheeks "I never could keep promises could, I?" she wrapped her arms around herself and looked towards the sea "I'm not going anywhere anyway. If you want to talk to me, I owe it to you to listen"

"I don't know what to say..." Joey said quietly as she moved closer to Charlie.

"Stop" Charlie stated firmly as she glanced back to Joey "Don't come any closer Joey"

Joey stopped short and gazed at Charlie speechlessly.

"So I cheated on you?" Charlie had moved her gaze back to the dark ocean and began to speak quietly "With...Hugo?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded in confirmation "But you..."

"Don't try and defend me Joey" Charlie warned sharply as she pulled the letter out of her pocket "This letter is practically a list of excuses. I don't need or want any more" she stuffed the letter roughly back into her pocket "I was weak"

"You were confused..."

"Stop doing that!" Charlie exclaimed loudly as she spun around to face the younger girl "Don't defend me!"

"But, Charlie..."

"I slept with Hugo" Charlie interrupted her "I betrayed you"

Joey winced slightly but she stayed silent unsure of what to say.

"I hurt you" Charlie spoke, a choked sob escaping her "And you deserved better than that...Especially from me"

"Charlie..." Joey felt her eyes flood with tears as she took a hesitant step closer to Charlie.

"Damn it Joey!" Charlie yelled suddenly through her tears "Why the hell didn't you leave me?!"

"I did leave you!" Joey replied just as loudly "I left you for almost three months Charlie!"

"Then why did you come back?!" Charlie questioned "If you left me then why are you still with me?"

"You're not the only person who has fucked things up" Joey shook her head sadly "You aren't the only guilty person here"

"How could you be guilty when _I'm _the one who cheated on _you?"_ Charlie asked incredulously.

"I came back to the bay after almost three months" Joey informed her tearfully "Because I needed to see you. And...I told you that I was leaving again. That I couldn't be with you because I hadn't forgiven you. That I didn't trust you. You were a mess when I got back but I made it so much worse." She sniffed back tears and continued haltingly "Have you never wondered why you were out so late? It was my fault Charlie. You were attacked because of me!"

"So what you're trying to tell me..." Charlie stated firmly "Is that you're only with me because you feel guilty about something that wasn't even your fault?"

"No" Joey shook her head obstinately "That's not it!"

"Then why are you still with me?!" Charlie questioned loudly.

"Because I love you, you idiot!" Joey blurted out in frustration.

"You..." Charlie shoulder slumped in defeat "This is so messed up..." she slumped down onto the sand and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms securely around them. A moment later she felt rather than saw Joey sit down next to her, mimicking her position.

"I thought I told you not to come any closer" Charlie sighed as she watched the waves crashing into each other.

"Doesn't mean I was going to listen to you" Joey replied softly. They fell into silence for a while before Charlie spoke up again.

"I hurt you..."

"Yeah" Joey nodded "You did hurt me...But I hurt you too"

"That doesn't matter" Charlie muttered shaking her head "I deserved it. You didn't"

"You didn't" Joey responded firmly "I made a mistake too Charlie. It wasn't just you..."

"What happened with us?" Charlie questioned quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean leading up to when I...Cheated on you..."

Joey exhaled loudly "Well you know we met when Robbo raped me, right?"

Charlie subconsciously tensed and clenched her fists in front of her, hating to think of anybody (Including herself) hurting Joey in any way "Right"

Joey smiled internally at Charlie's reaction "And you know that Brett threw me out because I'm gay? And that's why I moved in with you..."

"Uh-huh"

"People found out about us and started to talk. Your car was even vandalised. Brett pressed charges against you saying that you had used your position as a cop to seduce me..." she closed her eyes for a moment and pushed tears back "That night...At the beach...You said that Hugo said you were gay. I guess it all got too much for you..."

"So I slept with him to prove to myself that I wasn't gay?!" Charlie questioned "God, I'm ridiculous..."

"Charlie..."

"I'm not good enough for you Jo" Charlie said sadly as tears flowed freely down her cheeks "If that's what happened I was _never_ good enough for you"

Joey gazed at her in astonishment for a moment before she broke into tearful laughter.

Charlie frowned and finally turned to look at her "I don't get it...What's so funny?"

"You don't think I'm good enough for you?" Joey asked sceptically "It's just ironic, that's all...All the way through our relationship I was convinced I wasn't good enough for you..."

"I made you feel like that" Charlie said painfully "Like you weren't good enough..."

"No..." Joey shook her head firmly "That was all me"

"How can you just forgive me for what I did to you?" the older girl asked in confusion "How can you not hate me?!"

"Because I love you" Joey answered instantly "I've loved you ever since the day we met and...I know that what we have together is too valuable to throw away..." she shuffled subtly closer to Charlie.

"But I _hurt_ you!" Charlie persisted stubbornly.

"What do you want me to do Charlie?!" Joey asked exasperatedly "Do you want me to leave you again? Because those three months away from you were agonising. I don't think I could do that again"

Charlie remained silent and turned back to stare out at the ocean.

Joey sighed and tentatively pushed a strand of hair from Charlie's face relieved when she didn't flinch "I forgave you a while ago Charlie. You need to forgive yourself"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Charlie questioned tearfully as she turned to face Joey.

"I don't know" Joey whispered "But you _have_ to. Because I can't let you go. Not again. I love you way too much for that"

"I love you too" Charlie replied as she leaned forward "I love you so much. I swear to God I'm never going to hurt you like that again Joey"

"I know" Joey said in a hushed tone of voice "I trust you"

She moved closer to Charlie and kissed her tenderly. Charlie deepened the kiss after a moment but Joey forced herself to pull away.

"We have to get out of here" she said as she stood up and offered her hand to Charlie "It's not safe with that Psycho on the loose" Charlie accepted her hand and they began to walk quickly back home.

"Damn it!" a tall man muttered where he stood in the shadows "I was so close too...Soon...Very soon"

----

Joey had barely closed the door to the bedroom before Charlie had pulled her close and kissed her passionately.

"Mmmph" she muttered into the kiss, slightly shocked. She pulled away slightly to look at Charlie "What was that for?"

"Just because I love you" Charlie smiled at her "Because you Joey Collins are amazing." With that said she moved forward and reclaimed Joey's lips with her own in a heated kiss. Joey was slightly startled when Charlie deepened the kiss by brushing her tongue against her lips but she willingly parted them anyway.

"Wait!" She pulled away breathlessly after a moment to look at Charlie "Wait...I don't want to push you into anything...If you're not ready or..."

"You're not pushing" Charlie argued gently "And I'm totally ready...I want to be with you"

Joey swallowed at the desire in Charlie's voice "Okay..."

"Okay..." Charlie moved forward and wrapped her arms around Joey's waist pulling her close "If you don't want to do this right now, it's fine...If it's too soon..."

"No" Joey shook her head adamantly "I want to do this...I do..."

Charlie leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Joey's lips "Okay..." she moved her hands to the buttons on Joey's shirt and began to unbutton them excruciatingly slowly as she kissed her. When the shirt was finally loose she pushed it carefully from her lovers' shoulders, allowing gravity to take control as it dropped to the ground almost soundlessly.

"Are you sure?" she whispered again in Joey's ear.

"Very" Joey confirmed in a hushed voice as she moved them gently over to the bed. They fell onto it a moment later so that Joey was hovering over Charlie "But If I hurt you...Tell me okay?"

"Okay" Charlie smiled at Joey's concern and pulled her down for a passionate kiss. Joey slid her hands hesitantly under Charlie's shirt caressing the soft skin she found there. They parted only long enough for Joey to pull Charlie's shirt up and over her head and toss it behind them.

"You have a slight advantage on me" Charlie smiled up at Joey.

"Oh, yeah?" Joey grinned "What's that?"

"You remember doing this with me before" Charlie answered "To me this is our first time"

Joey smiled reassuringly at her as she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's cheek "Nervous?"

"Very" Charlie replied "But I'm with you so...I'll be fine..."

"Good" Joey whispered as she trailed soft kisses down to Charlie's neck.

"You're tense" she observed after a moment.

"Sorry" Charlie released a breath, trying to relax "I'm just nervous. Which is weird because I know what to do, roughly"

Joey smiled at Charlie's slight rambling "Really? You remember?"

"Uh...No..."

Joey pulled back to look at Charlie in confusion "But I thought you had never been with a woman before me..."

"I haven't..." Charlie responded awkwardly.

"Than what do you mean?" Joey asked.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to laugh..."

"I promise"

"I Googled it" Charlie mumbled blushing brightly.

Joey stared at her for a moment before she bit her lip in an attempt to control her laughter.

"Joey..." Charlie warned.

Joey burst into giggles unable to control her laughter anymore and Charlie glared at her half heartedly.

"I'm sorry!" Joey gasped out when she was finally able to stop laughing "But you _Googled _it?!"

"Well I was nervous!" Charlie pouted "And you're running the mood"

"Sorry" The younger girl smiled. She leaned forward and kissed Charlie gently "Better?"

"Getting there" Charlie pulled Joey down on top of her in a fiery kiss. She gently rolled them over so Joey was on her back and she was on her side, hovering over her. She pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder "I want..."

"What?" Joey gasped out as Charlie lips began to move lower.

"I want to feel you...All of you..."

The next few moments were a blur to both of them as clothes were shed and thrown randomly around the room. All that mattered to them was that they were finally together with no barriers between them.

"God, you're so beautiful..." Charlie whispered against Joey's skin as she kissed her way down to her navel.

"Charlie..." Joey moaned softly as she tangled her fingers in Charlie's hair. Charlie moved back up her body and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. Joey gasped a moment later when Charlie slipped a hand between their bodies and pressed gently against her wet heat.

Charlie bit her lip and gazed closely at Joey as she pushed two fingers inside of her in one firm stroke.

"Oh, God!" Joey gripped Charlie's free hand with her own as her head thumped back into the soft pillow behind her "Charlie..."

Charlie leaned down and kissed her desperately as she added a third finger. Joey inhaled deeply and instinctively ground her hips down. They moved together for what seemed like hours but may have only been minutes.

"Charlie" Joey gasped out as she grasped Charlie's shoulder with one hand "I think I'm going to..."

"Shh" Charlie soothed as she pressed a soft kiss to Joey's lips "its okay...Just let Go Joey..."

When it happened Joey released a soft sob as pleasure and Love washed over her in a wave. She tensed and for a moment it felt like she was completely weightless. When her head cleared she found herself enveloped in Charlie's arms "Wow..."

"That good?" Charlie grinned as she placed a gentle kiss on Joey's cheek.

"Hell yeah" Joey smiled "Are you sure you've never done that before?"

"I'm sure" Charlie nodded.

"Hmmn" Joey hummed happily "Then Google must have been pretty damn useful"

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed playfully batting her bare arm.

"Ow!" Joey said in mock hurt before she became serious and pulled Charlie close to her kissing her tenderly "I love you so much..." she didn't allow Charlie time to respond as she flipped them over and grinned down at her devilishly "My turn"

---

"Mmmph" Charlie groaned as she snuggled deeper into Joey's embrace.

"Charlie?" Joey whispered in her ear "You have to wake up..."

"Why?" Charlie mumbled as she blinked up at Joey sleepily.

"Because we're Naked" Joey smiled "And your sister has a rather annoying habit of bursting into your room at inopportune times..."

"We have covers on us" Charlie yawned sleepily.

"I guess you're right..." Joey smiled happily "Last night...Was it okay? I didn't push you or anything..."

"No" Charlie shook her head and drew Joey's hand to her lips, kissing it tenderly "Last night was perfect"

Joey beamed with joy and settled back into their embrace, both content to just be with each other.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews. They really mean a lot to me :) . I tried to keep this chapter as angst and pain free as possible but I don't know if that went very well...Oh well...Enjoy :)**

Chapter 12 

"Charlie?" Joey whispered as she pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head. No answer was forthcoming and she smiled internally.

"Chaaaarlie" she drawled slightly louder as she moved her lips to the other girls' neck and began to place tender kisses there.

"Mmmph" Charlie mumbled sleepily "If you keep doing that we're never going to get up..." she turned in Joey's arms and smiled brightly "So it kind of defeats the purpose"

"Hmmn" Joey hummed in response "You're really too sensible sometimes"

Charlie shrugged "Why are you trying to wake me up anyway? It's only..." she glanced over at the clock "8:30 am"

"You weren't asleep" Joey corrected quietly.

"I was half asleep" Charlie grinned "That counts as asleep...So why were you trying to get my attention?"

"I guess I just missed talking to you" Joey smiled softly as she ran a hand down Charlie's upper arm.

"Good answer" Charlie snuggled closer to the other girl and tightened her embrace. They lay together in comfortable silence for a moment before Charlie spoke up "I wish I could remember before the accident...I feel like I've missed so much..."

Joey hesitated before responding "Is it bad that I don't really want you to remember?"

"Huh?" Charlie appeared genuinely confused as she pulled away slightly to look at Joey "Why not?"

"Don't get me wrong...There are a lot of good memories from back then" Joey responded "But there are also some bad memories like..._him_. I don't want you to remember when we last talked before the accident and..."

"And?" Charlie prompted softly.

Joey bit her lip guiltily "I know this may seem like I don't trust you..." she trailed off when Charlie tensed slightly against her "Never mind...It doesn't matter..."

"No" Charlie shook her head as she pulled their joined hands up and placed a soft kiss on Joey's knuckles "Tell me...I want to know"

"I don't think...In fact I _know_ I wouldn't want to know if there was something that happened that I don't know about...When I was away..."

Charlie appeared confused for a moment before her expression cleared in realisation "Oh...You wouldn't want to know if I was unfaithful to you...Again..."

"I know that sounds kind of selfish...since I'm the one who left you in the first place but...I don't know..."

"But you only left me because of what I did" Charlie said in a pained voice.

They remained in contemplative silence for a moment before Joey spoke again in a slightly more cheerful tone of voice "But none of that matters now...Because we're putting the past behind us, right?"

"Right" Charlie nodded slowly.

Joey gazed at her closely noting that she still seemed quite troubled "I'm sorry I brought that up...I didn't mean to upset you..."

"It's okay" Charlie shrugged in an attempt to seem casual.

Joey sighed and leaned back against the pillow "Great way to kill the mood Joey"

"Hey...It's okay" The older girl reassured her quietly "Really."

"Can we just forget about all of that stuff?" Joey questioned unsurely "Just be together and forget about the past?"

"I'd say that's definitely a good idea" Charlie smiled before she leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to Joey's lips "I love you"

"I love you too" Joey smiled as she pulled Charlie closer to her "I love you so much"

"Charlie?" Joey questioned breaking the comfortable silence after a few moments.

"Uh-huh?" Charlie responded.

"I think _you_..." Joey poked Charlie gently in the ribs, grinning when the other girl released a surprised giggle "Need to get up"

"Why?" Charlie smiled "I'm content to just stay here all day"

"Hmmn" Joey hummed "I'd love to but...Your sister is going to get worried and you know what Ruby's like...She'll knock the door down to make sure you're okay."

"Mmmhm" Charlie smiled proudly "My sister's certainly something, isn't she?"

---

Joey and Charlie had barely walked through the kitchen door when they were both engulfed in Ruby's giant bear hug. They were both slightly surprised but returned the teens hug just as tightly.

"Oh my God!" Ruby exclaimed when she pulled away slightly to look at them "Thank God, you guys are okay! I was really worried...I was waiting for you both to get back last night but it was getting really late and I must have fallen asleep or something because I woke up the couch this morning and..."

"Ruby!" Charlie interrupted, placing a calming hand on her sister's arm "Calm down, we're fine"

"And you!" Ruby said loudly as she rounded on her sister "How could you just take off like that when there is a psycho out there? Could you be any more irresponsible?! I mean..."

"Hey" Joey raised a hand cautiously "I'm going to leave you guys alone for a minute okay?"

"Fine" Ruby nodded "But I'm not done with you yet..."

Joey suppressed a smile at Ruby's angry but worried tone "Right..." she turned to Charlie and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek "Good luck..." with that said she released Charlie's hand and walked out of the room, leaving the two sisters alone in tense silence.

"Ruby..." Charlie began hesitantly.

"No!" Ruby held up a hand to stop her sister talking "I have to say this okay?!" when Charlie nodded silently at her Ruby continued "Why the hell would you just run off like that when there's a goddamn psycho on the loose and you've already been attacked once?! You would think you would have learned your lesson by now..."

Charlie resisted the urge to tell her sister that she couldn't remember anything about what happened that night and so she couldn't really learn from the experience. She shifted slightly in discomfort as pain shot through her still healing injuries.

"But..."

"You're listening remember?" Ruby interrupted as she pulled a chair out from the table and guided Charlie over to it "Sit. I can tell you're in pain. Probably because of your stupid midnight run...Right?"

Charlie opened her mouth to speak but shut it again when Ruby shot her a look.

"As I was saying..." Ruby leaned on the table and gazed at her sister, worry clear in her eyes "Do you have any idea how irresponsible it was to just run off like that?! Seriously, Charlie you can't even _comprehend _how worried I was last night. You...You just _ran _off and with _Joey_ leaving too...."

Charlie bit her lip guiltily as tears formed in her sister's eyes "Ruby, I'm..."

"I was _really_ worried Charlie!" Ruby continued trying to push back her tears but to no avail "I kept thinking back to _that night_ when you were upset and you ran off! What would have happened if somebody had attacked you? And Joey too? What the hell would I have done Charlie?!"

"Ruby..." Charlie stood up and moved quickly over to her tearful sister enveloping her in a tight hug.

"What would I do if something happened to you?" Ruby sniffled against Charlie's shoulder "You and Joey are the only family I have! When you were hurt the last time Joey was the only thing keeping me from falling apart and...You both just took off and left me!"

"I'm sorry" Charlie pulled away and wiped her sister's tears away "I'm so sorry Rubz. I just wasn't thinking...I was so upset and...I doubt Joey was thinking either. We didn't mean t leave you alone..."

"I know" Ruby wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand and sank down onto a chair "I'm sorry too...I didn't mean to lose it like that...I was just so worried..."

"Don't worry about it" Charlie said softly as she sat back down in her own seat "You had every right to be upset at me..."

Ruby sighed softly "You won't do it again, right?"

"I won't" Charlie shook her head sincerely "I promise"

"Good" Ruby smiled weakly at her sister before the room fell into silence.

"So..." Charlie smiled happily at her sister "You think of Joey as family?"

Ruby blushed slightly and looked away from "Sure I do. I mean I know I was kind of hostile in the beginning..."

"I don't remember" Charlie shrugged.

"But she was really there for me when you were in the hospital..." Ruby continued "She's like a...sister to me...But not really a sister because that would make her _your_ sister too and that would be kind of gross...I don't know. She's like family to me anyway"

Charlie grinned at her sister's babbling and reached across the table to squeeze her hand "Thanks Rubz...It really means a lot to me that you two get along...Because you really are the two most important people in my life..."

"Okay" Ruby smiled at her sister "I'm going to change the conversation before you get all teary eyed and mushy on me, Okay?"

Charlie stuck her tongue out at her sister before her expression turned slightly more serious "Ruby?"

"I sense a not so happy conversation" Ruby commented nervously.

"I need to ask you something...And I need you to be _completely _honest with me...No matter how much the answer will hurt me...Could you do that for me?"

Ruby swallowed anxiously "Uh...Of course..."

"When Joey was gone...On the boat..." Charlie took a deep breath trying to dispel the sick apprehensive feeling in the pit of her stomach "Did I cheat on her? With other people?"

"No" Ruby answered instantly.

"Really?" Charlie asked doubtfully "Are you being honest with me? It doesn't matter how much it hurts but...I need the truth..."

"You didn't" Ruby answered "You were a mess when Joey left...You were too busy crying and drinking to do that"

Charlie closed her eyes and exhaled in relief "That's good..." her eyes snapped open an instant later to gaze at Ruby in shock "That's all I did? Crying and Drinking?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded "You were really depressed..."

"So what did you do?" Charlie questioned "I just...Left you so I could drink?"

"No" Ruby shook her head firmly "I was fine...You were still there for me..."

Charlie nodded silently and they fell into contemplative silence. She stood up after a moment and tilted her head towards the lounge "You coming?"

"Sure" Ruby nodded as she stood up and followed Charlie out of the kitchen.

"Hey" Charlie smiled widely when she saw Joey sitting on the couch, apprehension obvious in her eyes. She jumped onto the couch and wrapped an arm tightly around her girlfriend before placing a sloppy kiss on her head.

Joey giggled at the other girl "So are you two okay now? Are you going to yell at me?"

"We're fine" Ruby nodded surely as she sat on the arm of the couch "And no I'm not going to yell at you. I think I've yelled at Charlie enough for both of you...But Don't do it again Okay? You both really scared me"

"Okay" Joey nodded sincerely "I promise" she reached for Charlie's hand and entwined their fingers causing Charlie to smile brightly at her.

"So I take it you guys sorted everything out last night?" Ruby grinned impishly.

"Yeah..." Charlie said suspiciously "What are you grinning about?"

"You have an um..." Ruby gestured to her own neck.

Charlie's eyes widened and she blushed profusely as her hand shot to her neck to cover the red mark "Joey!"

"What?" Joey smiled innocently "That's not my fault...I'm totally innocent"

"You're lucky I love you so much" Charlie shook her head in amusement.

"Yeah?" Joey asked bashfully.

"Oh you know it" Charlie stated "You have me wrapped around your little finger Collins" she tightened her embrace and they both smiled lovingly at each other.

"You guys are entertaining with your mushiness and all..." Ruby grinned "But I have to go to school..."

"Bye Rubz" Joey and Charlie echoed in unison. Ruby smiled at them and stood up slowly.

She moved over and dropped a kiss on both of their heads "I'm going..."

"Be careful out there okay?" Joey said softly.

"Okay" Ruby rolled her eyes at the older girls' motherly concern. She paused for a moment before she reached out and playfully ruffled Joey's hair "See you guys later!" she rushed quickly from the room without giving them a chance to respond. Joey gazed after her speechlessly.

"Nice look" Charlie burst into laughter at Joey's mussed up hair.

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed as she ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to tidy it "Your...Your sister is..."

"Yep" Charlie nodded proudly "She certainly is"

They fell into silence for a moment before Joey noticed Charlie smiling adoringly at her.

"What?" she questioned subconsciously.

"Nothing..." Charlie shrugged "It's just...My sister totally adores you, y'know? She said that you and I are the only family she has..."

"Wow..." Joey said in surprise "She said that? Really?"

"Uh-huh" Charlie nodded "She said that you're like a sister to her..."

"Wow..." Joey repeated "Really?"

"Yes" Charlie smiled widely at the tears which had formed in Joey's eyes and nudged her gently "You big softy"

"I am not!" Joey sniffled slightly and subconsciously wiped at her eyes "It just...Means a lot to me that she accepts me y'know? That she accepts _us"_

"I know" Charlie nodded "That's what I said to her" she shifted slightly and placed a soft kiss on Joey's cheek. She began to move forward but pulled back before her lips touched Joey's "Jo?"

"Yeah?" Joey asked slightly disappointed that Charlie hadn't kissed her.

"You know what we were talking about this morning? About when you were away?"

"Yeah..."

"I asked Ruby about it..." Charlie said softly.

"Do I want to know?" Joey asked uneasily.

"She said that I was too busy drinking and crying to do anything like that..."

"Oh" Joey said as relief spread through her "That's good...Well not good that I caused you to be such a mess but..."

"I know" Charlie interrupted "But no more focusing on the past...Like you said, remember?"

"I do" Joey whispered before she leaned forward and kissed Charlie gently.

---

"CHARLIE!" Ruby yelled as she entered the house "JOEY!"

Joey and Charlie ran into the kitchen mere seconds later.

"What?" Joey questioned "What's wrong?"

"I was walking home from school" Ruby said somewhat breathlessly "And there was this guy...following me..."

"Following you?!" Charlie questioned switching quickly to cop mode.

"I think I lost him..." Ruby said as Joey guided her gently to a chair and sat her down "He must have turned off somewhere and...I ran straight here..."

"What did he look like?" Charlie asked glancing at the doorway.

"He was wearing a dark hoodie" The teen answered "And a baseball cap...He had his hood up so I couldn't see his face but..."

"Stay here. I'll be back in a minute" Charlie ordered before she moved quickly outside.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked Ruby softly as she felt her shaking under her hands.

"Yeah" Ruby nodded "I'm just kinda shaky...y'know?"

Joey leaned up and pulled the younger girl into a comforting hug.

Charlie re-entered the room and couldn't help but smile at the sight "I think he's gone..."

Joey and Ruby pulled away from the hug to look at Charlie.

"So what do we do?" Joey asked "What if it's the same guy who attacked you Charlie?"

"We have to report it..." Charlie moved quickly into the living room leaving Joey and Ruby in the kitchen.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Charlie stirred sleepily and rolled over in bed, automatically reaching out for Joey. When she felt only a cold mattress under her hand she blinked her eyes open sleepily "Joey?"

A dull thud from outside of her room caused her to sit up in the bed abruptly. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness but when they did she glanced quickly around the room noticing she was alone. When she heard another soft thud she slid as quietly as she could from the bed hurriedly pulling on a pair of jeans and a white hoodie over her tank top and shorts. She quickly located her gun and gripped it tightly in her hand. Charlie opened her door silently and stepped out of the room.

"Jo?" she murmured hesitantly as she lifted her gun and tensed considerably. When no answer was forthcoming she moved stealthily forward into the kitchen. She sighed in relief when she noticed Ruby and Joey standing there.

"What are you guys doing?!"

"Jesus Charlie!" Ruby squeaked when she turned around to see Charlie still holding up her gun "Put that thing down!"

"Oh" Charlie bit her lip guiltily "Sorry. I have the Safety on though...Wait here" she disappeared from the kitchen only to return a moment later without the gun.

"Sorry Jo...Can't be too careful with a psycho running around" she said apologetically as she observed the obviously freaked out younger woman.

"It's okay" Joey shrugged. She smiled weakly at Ruby's slightly confused look "I don't like guns...Especially not after I went away on that 3 month trawl"

"Why?" Ruby questioned curiously as she leaned against the counter.

"There was this guy on board who kept hitting on me" Joey explained "I rejected his advances and he decided it would be a good idea to pull a gun on me"

"You didn't tell me that" Charlie gaped at her in shock "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Joey shrugged "I didn't think it was that big of a deal...Anyway he's long gone now"

"What happened?" Ruby asked in horrified curiosity "When he pulled the gun on you?"

Joey grinned at them "The other guys on the boat threatened to have him thrown overboard if he did it again" she glanced at Charlie who was gazing into space looking upset and her smile faded slightly "You okay Charlie?"

"Yeah" Charlie answered shaking her head to rid herself of her distracting thoughts "I'm just surprised you didn't tell me...that's all..."

Ruby glanced between them awkwardly before turning her gaze briefly towards the doorway, sensing an argument brewing.

"But anyway" Charlie changed the subject quickly "What are you both doing up at this time of night? Or should I say morning?"

"We couldn't sleep" Joey responded "So we decided to stay up for a while"

"Oh" Charlie said as she moved over to Joey and wrapped her arms around her from behind "Hmmn you're cold"

"Hey" Ruby grinned "I'm cold too...are you giving out free hugs?"

"It'll cost you" Charlie smiled at her sister. When Ruby merely pouted at her she shifted slightly and lifted her free arm "I'm kidding Rubz. Get over here"

The teenager raised an eyebrow at her and Charlie narrowed her eyes playfully in response "Seriously Ruby. Come here"

"I'd do what she says Rubz" Joey smiled "Your sister can be really badass sometimes"

"Sometimes?" Ruby questioned incredulously as she moved closer to them.

"She means all of the time" Charlie winked before she pulled Ruby into the hug. They stood like that for a moment before Ruby pulled away.

"Okay" she grinned cheekily "Enough mush...You guys can carry on..." she waved a hand at them before she dropped into a seat at the table.

"You're still cold" Charlie remarked quietly as she ran her hands up and down Joey's arms in an attempt to warm her up.

Joey shrugged "You're warm"

"Too warm?" Charlie smiled softly.

"No" Joey smiled shaking her head "Perfectly warm...It's comfortable" she snuggled further into the older girls arm causing her to tighten the embrace.

"Have I told you lately that you guys are sickeningly sweet?" Ruby asked from the table unable to help the smile which tugged at her lips.

"Shut up" Charlie responded light heartedly "What time is it anyway?"

"4:24am" the younger girl responded as she stood and yawned "So I should be going back to bed"

"'Night" Joey and Charlie said in unison.

"It's technically morning" Ruby grinned before she walked out of the door leaving Joey and Charlie alone together.

"You're shivering" Charlie observed, concern colouring her tone.

"And you worry too much" Joey smiled. She turned around and kissed the older girl gently "I'm fine"

"But cold" Charlie responded pulling Joey back into her arms and holding onto her tightly "Maybe you're getting sick or something..."

"I'm not" Joey mumbled shaking her head against Charlie's shoulder "Let's just go back to bed okay? I'll be fine...Honestly" she pulled back slightly to look into her girlfriend's eyes.

"Okay" Charlie conceded hesitantly as she allowed Joey to pull her back to the bedroom.

----

"I'm such an idiot" Charlie mumbled to herself as she kicked at the sand under her feet "Stupid boat...Stupid gun...Stupid argument" she released a sigh and sunk down onto the sand pulling her knees securely to her chest. She closed her eyes as her mind flashed back to the argument she had with Joey a mere hour ago.

"_Charlie!" Joey said loudly crossing her arms defensively in front of her "I told you to drop it okay?! It was ages ago. He took off somewhere so why should that matter now?"_

"_I only asked why you didn't tell me!" Charlie exclaimed. _

"_And as I told you..." Joey spoke in annoyance "You didn't need to know and the conversation didn't arise...Which is why I didn't tell you, okay?!"_

"_You didn't think I would want to know that you had been threatened with a GUN?!"Charlie asked incredulously" Why didn't you get off the boat anyway? You could have been seriously hurt!"_

"_Why are you pushing this?!" Joey asked "It's not a big deal!"_

"_But..."_

"_No!" Joey yelled "Just BACK OFF CHARLIE!"_

"_Fine!" Charlie replied just as loudly "I will!" with that last parting remark she turned and walked out of the door, ignoring Joey's calls for her to wait. _

"Charlie!" Charlie's thoughts were interrupted by a masculine voice yelling to her. She looked up to see Hugo running towards her and barely resisted the urge to run in the opposite direction. Instead she merely sighed and turned back to watch the waves.

"Hey" Hugo grinned as he plopped down beside her on the ground rather too close for her liking. She shuffled subtly away from him.

"What's wrong?" Hugo asked her when she didn't respond "Been arguing with Joey?"

"Shut up Hugo" Charlie mumbled irritably "I'm really not in the mood right now, okay?!"

"Fine, whatever" Hugo shrugged as he too returned his gaze to the ocean "But hey, I'm here if you want to talk okay?"

"Seriously?!" Charlie laughed bitterly "You think I would want to talk to you after what happened with us?!"

"Oh" the man said in realisation "So Joey finally decided to tell you about that did she?"

"Clearly" Charlie sighed "Now can you just leave me alone?"

"You know..." Hugo said thoughtfully "I've always liked you Charlie..."

"Oh No. No way" Charlie shook her head determinedly "We're not going there"

"Why not?" Hugo questioned "You did it once"

"And it's something I would really prefer not to repeat" Charlie winced as she caught the scent of alcohol on his breath "Now could you le..." she turned to him and squeaked in surprise when he leaned forward and kissed her somewhat roughly. She quickly pulled away and scrambled to her feet wiping her mouth as she did so.

"What the hell Hugo?!" she yelled in outrage "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"I thought that was obvious" Hugo grinned sleazily up at her and staggered to his feet, almost falling over in the process.

"Just back off. I'm with Joey. I _love_ Joey and I'm not going to let you screw that up for me. Not again"

Hugo's face darkened at her rejection "You'd better go...Wouldn't want her to find out about this would we? Even though she might eventually"

"Joey..." Charlie muttered under her breath. She glanced at Hugo "You're a prick Hugo...You need to sort yourself out..." she left him glaring after her as she took off running.

---

"JOEY!" Charlie gasped as she burst through the door and into the house "JOEY?!"

"Hey" Joey walked through the door. Upon seeing the panic on Charlie's face she rushed over to her "What's wrong?! Is it Ruby? Did something happen to her?"

Charlie shook her head "No...No. Joey I have to tell you something..."

"Come on" Joey said quietly as she pulled her through the house and into their bedroom. She set her lightly on the bed before sitting next to her "What is it? You're not breaking up with me are you?" she attempted to smile but it came out as nervous and shaky.

"No" Charlie shook her head "No, it's not that..." she reached for Joey's hand and squeezed it tightly "I was down at the beach..."

"And...?" Joey prodded gently though worry was creeping into her voice "Charlie you're kind of scaring me"

"Hugo kissed me" Charlie blurted out. At the crushed look on Joey's face she continued quickly "But I pushed him away. I swear to God I didn't kiss him back Joey. I told him that I'm in love with you and I'm not going to let him screw it up for me. You have to believe me Jo, I would never..."

"Shh" Joey interrupted her by pressing a finger to her lips "its okay. I believe you"

"You do?" The older girl asked slightly breathless from her rant.

"I do" Joey smiled softly. She glanced away before looking back at Charlie sincerely "I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier. I know you were just worried..."

"It's fine" Charlie shrugged "I shouldn't have overreacted"

"Are we okay now?" Joey asked hesitantly "I really don't like arguing with you"

"I know" Charlie sighed "I hate it too. But we're fine now. Really"

"Good" Joey murmured as she leaned forward and pressed an almost chaste kiss to Charlie's lips "because I missed you" she tugged the other girl forward and kissed her passionately.

"I missed you too" Charlie gasped when they pulled away for breath "I guess we'll just have to make up for it..." she pulled Joey back into the kiss and pressed her gently backwards onto the bed.

---

"Shit..." Ruby murmured as she glanced around the dark road "This is just great...Why the hell must I be running late? Charlie's going to kill me..." she continued walking nervously "And now I'm talking to myself. Brilliant!"

A noise which sounded very much like a rock being kick sounded from her left causing her to stop and look around. She released a nervous laugh when she saw nobody there "You're paranoid Ruby" she continued walking again but stopped short when she heard footsteps from behind her. She turned around and released a sigh of relief when once again she saw no one. She began to walk at a faster pace and almost instantly heard the footsteps behind her again.

"Oh fuck..." she pulled her phone out of her pocket and searched quickly for Charlie's number. She glanced over her shoulder as she ran only now able to see the silhouette of a man and raised the phone to her ear.

"Come on..." she whimpered softly "Pick up Charlie!" the phone rang until she was put through to the answering machine "Damn it!" she looked over her shoulder and stopped when she didn't see the man "Phew...That was kind of close" she turned back to the direction she was heading in and released a scream when she saw the man standing right in front of her. He grabbed at her quickly and placed his hand over her mouth. Ruby struggled but to no avail as she breathed in the chloroform from the cloth he was holding against her mouth.

"Charlie..." she managed to mumble before she slumped limply into her captives arms.

"That was easier than expected" the man leered down at her as her carried her over to his car parked just a short walk away. He placed her in the car and shut the door before getting in himself "You should be out for a while..." he started the engine "Sooner or later she will pay..." with one last glance towards the back seat he turned to the road and began to drive...

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Charlie shot up in bed breathing heavily. She glanced quickly around the dark room in attempt to find the cause of her discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Joey questioned quietly as she sat up on her elbows watching Charlie getting out of the bed quickly.

"I don't know" Charlie pulled on her clothes as fast as she could before she turned around to face Joey "Something's not right"

The younger girl tilted her head in unadulterated confusion "What do mean? What's not right?"

"I don't know!" Charlie exclaimed, flicking the light on. Both girls blinked rapidly against the light which suddenly flooded the room.

"Charlie, Honey" Joey said carefully as she inched slightly closer to the obviously upset woman "You're not making very much sense...Have you been taking those pain pills? I know they make you kind of loopy sometimes..."

"I'm not crazy!" Charlie stated firmly "Something's just...Not right" she turned around and walked out of the room without giving Joey time to respond.

"RUBY!" she yelled loudly as she glanced around the dark living room "Ruby?!"

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed as she rushed out of the room and grabbed Charlie's arm gently "What's wrong? You're going to wake Leah and VJ up!"

"Something's not right" Charlie responded monotonously though she continued to look around the room frantically.

"What do...?" Joey trailed off when Charlie pulled away from her and rushed to Ruby's bedroom. Joey followed automatically and frowned in concern as Charlie pounded loudly on Ruby's door.

"Rubz?!" Charlie called out quietly "Open the door!" she glanced at Joey who shrugged before she pushed the door carefully open. She inhaled sharply when she saw that the room was empty and Ruby's bed hadn't been slept in.

"She's not here..." she said softly as she turned around to face her girlfriend "She's not here Joey!"

"Okay" Joey responded softly, trying to remain as calm as possible despite the gnawing fear in her stomach "Let's just stay calm okay? She could be totally fine. She might just be running late...You know what Ruby's like...She's never on time"

Charlie's gaze left Joey's as she glanced over her shoulder at the clock "its 1am..." she pulled fully away from Joey and rushed from the room.

"What's going on Joey?" Leah questioned sleepily from the doorway "What's wrong with Charlie?"

"Ruby isn't in her room" Joey explained in a hurried voice "Charlie's panicking" without another word she hurried after Charlie. Seeing the door was open she groaned internally.

"Not again..." she muttered under her breath. She moved quickly outside and spotted Charlie immediately.

"Charlie?" She moved quickly over to the distressed woman and took her hand gently "Charlie...Listen to me!"

Charlie shook her head silently "I can't. I need to find Ruby...I can't just leave her out here...She could be hurt or worse..." she tried to struggle away from Joey but the younger girl held tightly "Let go!"

"No!" Joey refused adamantly "You're not thinking clearly. You can't just run off Charlie!"

"I have to find her!" Charlie growled out "She's my sister...I have to..."

"There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this" Joey soothed quietly "Like I said she could be late..."

"No" Charlie shook her head adamantly "She would never be this late...Especially not right now. She knows I would freak out"

"We'll go to the station, okay?" Joey said quietly "I'm sure she'll be fine"

"No, I have to..."

"Charlie!" Joey stated firmly as she cupped the older girls face in her hands "We have to be reasonable okay? We can't just run off into the dark to look for her. We have to do this properly..."

"Right" Charlie nodded quickly. She turned back towards the house and moved inside pulling Joey with her.

---

"Charlie?" Watson frowned in confusion as her friend and Colleague entered the station with Joey hot at her heels "I thought you were taking..."

"My sister is missing!" Charlie interrupted stopping right in front of Watson's desk "And I want her found _right now!"_

"Ruby's missing?" Watson question in concern.

"Yes" Charlie nodded "That's what I said..."

"Uh...Why don't we take this into your office?" Watson stood up and led them into Charlie's office realising that this was not going to be an easy conversation to have. She leaned back on the desk as Charlie stood in front of her with Joey hovering uncertainly at her side.

"How long has she been missing?" she asked carefully.

"Since this morning" Charlie answered monotonously "We haven't seen her since then and she hasn't come home yet...She's never this late"

Watson nodded slowly and walked around the desk feeling the need to put as much distance between her and Charlie as possible.

"As a police officer..." she started quietly "You know about the 24 hour rule..."

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE 24 HOUR RULE!" Charlie stepped forward and slammed her hands down on the table in front of her shocking both Watson and Joey with the ferocity of both her statement and the action.

"Charlie..." Watson began calmly.

"Don't 'Charlie' me!" Charlie said loudly just managing to keep herself from shouting "My sister is out there and she could be hurt!"

"But..."

"There also happens to be a psycho out there...Doesn't that tell you anything?!"

"The rules..."

"I don't want to hear about the stupid rules!" Charlie exclaimed her voice increasing in volume "I WANT MY SISTER FOUND RIGHT NOW!"

"Charlie..." Joey stepped forward and tugged at Charlie's hand "Stop yelling"

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SO FUCKING CALM JOEY?" Charlie yelled, spinning around to face the younger girl "Ruby is _missing_! Don't you get that?!"

"Yes" Joey said tightly "I do _get that_ Charlie!"

"Well the least you could do is _act_ like you care!" Charlie blurted out before she could stop herself.

A hurt expression instantly adorned Joey's features "You know that I care about Ruby..."

"I want her back" Charlie said shortly as she turned back to face Watson "And If nobody will help me I'm going to go and look for her by myself. I swear to God I will fight through heaven and hell until she's found!"

Watson sighed heavily "I'll see what I can do. I'll put out an APB straight away since these are special circumstances...What with a killer on the loose and all..."

"Okay..." Charlie nodded "I'm going to go and look..."

"No" Watson shook her head adamantly and looked pointedly between Joey and Charlie "Neither of you are going to look for her tonight. I'll get a team on it. We can't afford any more casualties...You know it's the right thing to do Charlie..."

Charlie hesitated for a moment before nodding "Fine. But first thing tomorrow I'm out there" she turned and walked quickly towards the door. She stopped at the doorway "Watson?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you"

Watson watched Charlie leave the room "Joey?!" she said quickly stopping the younger girl from leaving the room.

"Yeah?" Joey questioned hoarsely. She turned around to reveal tears in her eyes.

"Look out for her okay?" Watson asked quietly gesturing towards the doorway "It seems to me like she's blocking her emotions...Except anger of course. It's perfectly normal in cases like this but...When the time comes..."

"I know" Joey nodded shortly as she once again turned to leave the room.

"And, Joey?" Watson once again stopped Joey leaving the room "We'll find her"

Joey nodded "Thanks" she moved quickly out of the room.

---

"How is she?" Leah questioned quietly as she sat on the couch and placed her hand on Joey's back "Actually..._where_ is she?"

"She's sitting in the kitchen...Waiting" Joey answered "Just like she has been all night. I don't know how she is...She won't talk to me. It's like she's blocking all of her emotions"

"Has there been any news?" Leah softly.

"No. Not ye..."she trailed off as Charlie walked through the room "Charlie?" when Charlie merely ignored her she sighed and turned to Leah "I'm going to go after her..."

Leah nodded and Joey pushed herself off the couch, walking into the bedroom she shared with Charlie "Charlie?" she watched as Charlie pulled a pair of jeans on "Where are you going?" she inhaled deeply when Charlie once again ignored her "You're going to have to talk to me eventually you know..."

"What, Joey?!" Charlie exclaimed finally spinning around to face her "What do you want me to say?!"

"I want you to stop shutting me out!" Joey answered firmly. She moved forward and placed a hand on Charlie's cheek "You don't have to be strong for me Charlie. You don't..." she was cut off as a beeping sounded "What's..."

"My phone..." Charlie moved over to her phone which was on the bedside cabinet and picked it up just as the beeping stopped.

"I have a missed call..." she said softly "From Ruby...Last night..." she quickly dialled a number "I have a voicemail message..."

Joey watched hopefully as Charlie lifted her phone to her ear. Her hope faded however when Charlie paled dramatically and she slumped back on the bed, allowing the phone to slip from her grasp.

"What?" Joey questioned in panic "What is it?" Charlie offered no response and Joey picked the phone up from the floor. She quickly selected the option to replay and listened carefully, growing more horrified by the second.

"_Damn it..." Ruby's voice sounded. _

Her voice faded slightly as if the phone had been lowered _"Phew...That was kind of close"_

A loud scream from the phone caused Joey to jump slightly. A moment later a thump was heard as if the phone had been dropped to the ground.

"_That was easier than expected"_ a man's voice sounded.

"Oh my God..." Joey muttered as she dropped shakily on the bed next to Charlie.

"Last night..." Charlie whispered, her mind flashing back to the previous night.

"_Charlie..." Joey panted against Charlie's skin "Your phone..."_

"_Ignore it" Charlie moaned softly as she pulled Joey back to her and kissed her deeply. _

"_It could be important..."_

"_If it is they'll call back..."_

The sound of ringing cut her from her thoughts.

"CHARLIE!" Leah yelled a couple of moments after she had answered it "PHONE!"

Charlie rushed out of the bedroom and took the phone Leah offered her "Thanks Leah" she raised the phone to her ear.

"Charlie?" Watson's voice rang out.

"Yeah?" Charlie swallowed nervously "Have you found her Watson?"

"No...But we've found her phone" Watson answered slowly "We've also found what appears to be traces of blood..."

"How....Is it Ruby's?"

"We don't know yet...We're assuming that this is the crime scene"

Charlie released a soft whimper but tensed almost instantly determined that she wouldn't let her emotions overrule her "I have a voicemail message on my Cell phone...It sounds like she was attacked..."

"We'll be there soon okay?!" Watson said. She hung up before Charlie had a chance to reply.

---

"Charlie..." Joey said softly as she watched the older girl walking aimlessly around the kitchen. It had been over an hour since Watson had stopped by to pick up the phone and since then Charlie had reverted back to silence.

"What?!" Charlie asked loudly.

"Are you...Mad at me?" Joey asked hesitantly.

"No" Charlie answered quietly bracing herself with her hands on either side of the sink "I'm not mad at you...I'm _mad_ at myself! This is entirely my fault Joey!"

"It's not your fault" Joey argued softly as she moved slightly closer to her distraught girlfriend.

"It is. She needed me and I was too busy..." Charlie trailed off unsure as to how to finish that sentence "She needed me...And I wasn't there for her...I wasn't THERE!" she slammed her hand down on the edge of the sink causing Joey to wince slightly.

"Charlie..." she placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder, relieved when she wasn't shrugged off "You have to calm down..."

"Why do you keep saying that?!" Charlie growled tensing under Joey's hand "How am I supposed to calm down? Ruby could be hurt or...or DEAD!" she released a quiet sob and turned around to face Joey as tears finally spilled from her eyes "I can't do this Joey!"

"I know" Joey wrapped her arms tightly around the older "it's okay...Just let go..."

"I can't lose her" Charlie sobbed into Joey's shoulder "I can't...Not her"

"Shh" Joey soothed quietly pushing her own tears back "I know" she pulled back slightly and offered Charlie a weak smile as she took her hand "Come on..." she pulled her gently though the living room and into their bedroom for privacy. She shut the door and turned back to Charlie, tenderly brushing still falling tears away "We're not going to lose her okay?"

"I want to believe that..." Charlie said tearfully "But I can't..."

"Charlie..." Joey watched helplessly as Charlie lay on the bed and turned away from her. She took a deep breath and did the only thing she could in that moment. She climbed onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Charlie from behind.

"I miss her so much" Charlie choked out, her whole body shaking softly with sobs.

"So do I" Joey whispered tearfully.

"I can't lose her" Charlie repeated quietly.

"I know" Joey finally allowed emotions to overtake her as her tears fell faster. Charlie turned around in Joey' embrace and wrapped her arms around her tightly. They lay sobbing, guilt and sorrow washing over them before they both fell into a restless sleep.

---

"Ow!" Ruby groaned as she raised a hand to her head. She blinked her eyes open and closed them instantly when pain shot through her head "Fuck..." after a moment she opened her eyes tentatively and looked around the room. The walls were bare as was the floor she was lying on.

"Charlie?" she called quietly as she stood up slowly. She backed herself up against the wall as the door opened. A muscular dark haired man walked through a moment later and grinned at her "Aaah, you're awake"

"Where's my sister?" Ruby demanded.

"I don't know" the man shrugged.

"Who are you? And where the hell am I?!"

"You ask a lot of questions" He muttered as he leaned casually against the wall "What the hell? My name's Colin...And I'm not stupid enough to tell you where we are"

"What do you want from me?!" Ruby questioned angrily.

"I don't want anything from you" Colin laughed bitterly "The person I want is Joey"

"Joey?" The teenager questioned angrily "What do you want with Joey?!"

"I want to hurt her as much as possible"Colin grinned sadistically "And the best way to do that is to hurt the people she loves...Which is why I took you and why I attacked her precious little girlfriend..."

"You attacked my sister?!" Ruby made a move towards him stopped when he pulled a gun from his belt and pointed it directly at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you..."

"You're the guy from the boat..." Ruby muttered in realisation.

"Joey tell you about me, did she?" Colin smirked "Good..." he shifted his gun to the side and fired at the wall, Grinning sadistically when Ruby flinched "Now you know I mean business..."

"My sister will stop you" Ruby said shakily.

"You're sister won't have a chance..." Colin responded firmly "Which reminds me...I have something I need to do"

"Leave them alone!" Ruby demanded.

"You all seem to care about each other a lot" the man nodded thoughtfully "Good...That means this will only cause Joey more pain..." he tucked his gun into his belt and turned towards the door. He froze however at Ruby's voice.

"Why are you doing this?"

"This is personal" he answered stonily "I'm going to do to her what she did to me..." with that he left the room and locked the door behind him. Ruby rushed over to the wooden door and tried to pull it open but to no avail. She slid down the door to the floor and her eyes filled with tears.

"Charlie!" She yelled painfully "Joey!"

Her only response was silence.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews guys. They really help with this fic :)**

Chapter 15

"It's been four days..." Watson began hesitantly, intensely aware that an incensed Charlie was standing right in front of her.

"I don't care" the girl in question growled clutching tightly to Joey's hand "Ruby is not _dead. _I'm not going to believe that"

"Your sisters blood was found at the crime scene" Watson reminded her calmly.

Joey glanced at Charlie and seeing she was unable to respond, replied to the comment herself "But there was only a little bit of blood, right? I mean if he knocked her unconscious that could very we be from the hit she took or the actual fall, couldn't it?"

Watson narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at Joey "It's a possibility _but_ if this is the same guy who attacked Charlie it doesn't make sense. Why would he leave Charlie and take Ruby? Unless he went too far and..."

"Stop it" Charlie interrupted quietly "Just STOP IT!" she turned her tearful gaze to Watson "This is _my sister_ we're talking about Watson! She's not just...a job!"

"I know...I'm sorry Charlie. I'm just trying to stay as professional as possible"

"She's not dead" Charlie repeated softly.

"It's a possibility..."

"IT'S NOT!" Charlie yelled angrily. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before returning her gaze to Watson and speaking in a calmer voice "Ruby isn't dead. I have to have faith in that if nothing else, okay?!" Watson nodded slowly and Charlie continued haltingly "I need you to check up on anybody who could have a grudge against either me or Joey"

"But..."

"FOR GOD SAKE WATSON JUST DO IT!" Charlie exclaimed loudly.

"Okay" Watson said softly "Charlie..."

"Tell me when you find something okay?" Charlie turned her gaze to the ground as tears formed once again in her eyes "Anything at all..." she promptly pulled her hand from Joey's and rushed from the room.

"Damn it..." Joey muttered as she watched her girlfriend go.

"I'm sorry about that" Watson sighed heavily and slumped down in her chair. Joey stayed silent and regarded the police officer in front of her.

"Joey..." Watson spoke hesitantly as she looked up at Joey "There is a high possibility that Ruby is..."

"Stop it!" Joey growled angrily "I don't want to hear this anymore than Charlie does. I love Ruby like she's my own sister. I _do not_ want to hear that you think she's dead, got it?"

"You both have to be prepared for the worst in a case like this" Watson sighed sadly "Charlie should know that but she's ignoring her own judgement"

"Of course she is!" Joey exclaimed "Ruby is her sister!"

"I know that Joey" Watson muttered "We're doing all we can to find her...We're not giving up on her but like I said you both have to be prepared"

"I have to go" Joey stated before she turned and walked out of the station. She glanced around and almost immediately spotted Charlie sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall. She moved quickly over to the other girl and dropped to her knees in front of her "Charlie?"

"Joey" Charlie responded softly before she moved forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend.

"Are you okay?" Joey murmured as she ran a soothing hand over the older girl's hair.

"No" Charlie pulled back slightly to look at Joey through teary eyes "Can we just go home Jo? I can't do this here..."

Joey frowned in confusion at Charlie's wording but stood up and offered her hand for Charlie to take anyway.

"Thanks" Charlie whispered when Joey helped her to her feet.

"Anytime" Joey whispered as she wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist. They began to walk home slowly.

---

"Charlie?" Joey called out quietly as she glanced around the living room. They had gotten back a while ago but Charlie had requested some time alone. Joey had been hesitant to agree but respected Charlie's need for space. She walked quietly into the kitchen and her eyes fell upon Charlie who was sitting at the table, gazing forlornly at a picture in her hands.

Joey cleared her throat gently causing Charlie to look up at her "Hey"

"Hey" Charlie smiled weakly as she returned her gaze to the picture.

"Do you want some time alone or...?"

"No" Charlie shook her head adamantly "I just...I need you..." she looked up at Joey and patted the chair next to her "Please?"

"Of course" Joey nodded and dropped into the chair next to Charlie taking her free hand.

"I miss her..." the older girl whispered, almost inaudibly "I miss her so much..."

"I know" Joey shifted closer to Charlie and wrapped an arm tentatively around her shoulders. She was hugely relieved when Charlie immediately leaned into her "Me too"

"Do you think that she's dead?" Charlie questioned quietly as she wiped self consciously at her eyes "Like Watson said?"

"No" Joey shook her head surely "I don't think she's dead...I _know_ we'll find her"

"I failed her..." Charlie whispered sadly.

"What?!" Joey exclaimed in surprise "What do you mean, you 'failed her?"

"I'm supposed to protect her" Charlie whispered as tears fell from her eyes "I'm supposed to be able to protect her no matter what. But I just let that _bastard_ take her away from me!"

"There was nothing you could have done Charlie"

"Hence I've failed her...I should have been able to do something. I knew that somebody had been following her so why didn't I hang onto her as tightly as possible?!"

"This is not your fault!" Joey spoke firmly "You know that! And you and I both know that if Ruby was here right now she would be kicking your ass for even thinking it!"

"What if she isn't anywhere?" Charlie said softly as she lowered her gaze to the ground to hide her tears "What if I've lost her?"

"You can't think like that" Joey argued her own eyes glimmering with unshed tears "She'll be fine. She has to be!"

"I don't know what to do Jo" Charlie whimpered softly "I just don't know what to do!"

"I know" Joey tilted Charlie's head to meet her eyes by placing two fingers under her chin "But right now you don't have to know what to do. Right now...you can't think straight and I get that. So I'll do it for you. Just...let me be strong for you Charlie"

Charlie nodded and smiled tearfully at Joey "Can't think straight? Pun intended?"

Joey released a soft giggle and pulled Charlie closer to her, pressing a sot kiss to the top of her head "That's my Charlie"

"What would I do without you?" Charlie wondered out loud as she looked up at Joey "I'd be a total mess without you with me Jo"

Joey smiled warmly at her and shrugged "Well than it's a good job I'm not going anywhere" she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips "Ever"

---

"Bored, bored, bored" Ruby chanted softly as she glanced idly around the room. She glanced up hopefully as the door opened but her expression dropped when Colin walked through the door.

"It doesn't seem like you're happy to see me" he grinned at her.

Ruby remained silent and turned her gaze from his.

"So you're not talking to me now?" he grinned as he locked the door and sat down on the floor next to it "that's fine...I'll just talk at you"

"Great" she muttered under her breath.

"Sooo..." the man drawled.

"When are you going to let me out of here?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not planning on it" Colin shrugged "But if it's any consolation you'll be seeing Joey _very_ soon"

"What do you mean?" Ruby questioned, fear clear in her eyes. As much as she wanted to see Charlie and Joey she didn't want them to be in any danger.

"Just what I said. Joey will be here soon and then..." he smiled sadistically "She can begin to pay for what she did to us"

"Us?" Ruby repeated.

"Huh?" the man appeared confused for a moment before realising his slip "Oh nothing...I'm not stupid enough to tell you everything Ruby"

"You said that _Joey_ would be here soon..." Ruby said trying to buy as much time as possible "What about Charlie?"

"Your sisters time will come soon enough" Colin smirked smugly as he stood up "I have this all figured out...Which reminds me, I have to go and pay Joey a visit"

"NO!" Ruby too staggered to her feet "Leave her alone"

"No" Colin shook his head "I can't..." he began to walk away before Ruby stopped him.

"Wait!"

"What?" he rolled his eyes as he spun around to face her.

"I need to uh...Go to the bathroom" Ruby lied.

"I don't trust you" he narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously "Any funny stuff and you'll be sorry okay?"

The young girl nodded and attempted to look sincere "Okay"

Colin turned and unlocked the door "Come on" he led her to the bathroom and gestured for her to go in. Ruby entered the room and locked the door behind her. She closed her eyes and stood there for a couple of minutes, listening out for Colin. When she heard nothing she moved over to the door and opened it silently. She almost yelled in happiness when she noticed that he had left her alone. She opened the door wider and took a deep breath before running down the corridor towards the front door as quickly as she could.

"HEY!" Ruby heard Colin running behind her but ignored him. She reached the door and struggled to unlock it. Just as she was pulling it open however she felt a sharp pain in her temple and her world turned black.

"I told you, you would be sorry" Colin stated from where he stood above her Gun in hand with the butt pointing out. He tucked it back into his belt before he leaned down and picked Ruby up carefully. He walked back to the room and lay her on the floor careful not to cause any more damage. He shook his head when he noticed Ruby's head was bleeding profusely "Stupid Teenagers" he turned and walked out of the room locking the door behind him.

---

"Joey?" Charlie questioned quietly as she slipped behind Joey and wrapped her arms around her waist "I'm going to head down to the station okay? Are you alright here?"

"I'm fine" Joey turned around in Charlie's embrace "Just be careful okay?"

"Okay" Charlie nodded. She flashed Joey a warm smile "I'll miss you"

"You'll only be gone for about an hour" Joey smiled softly as she pulled Charlie closer to her. Charlie pouted at her "But I'll miss you too"

"Better" Charlie said quietly. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Joey's in a soft loving caress "I love you"

"I love you too" Joey smiled "Now go"

"I'm going" Charlie said before she turned around and walked out of the room "See you later Jo!"

"Yeah" Joey said softly as she heard the door slam shut "See you later" she turned around and leaned against the counter in front of her "God I miss Ruby" she closed her eyes and lost herself in her thoughts.

She smiled as she heard a soft rustling behind her a couple of minutes later "Miss me already?"

"I did miss you" Joey spun around quickly at the sound of a male voice and gaped at the unwelcome sight which met her eyes "But not for the same reason as your girlfriend"

"Colin..."

"Glad to see you remember me" the man smirked. He moved forward and grabbed her when she started to make a move towards the door "I wouldn't do that if I was you Joey...Unless you want me to kill Ruby..."

Joey stopped struggling against him almost immediately causing him to grin smugly "Good...I'm glad we're clear on that"

----

Colin pushed Joey roughly through the door causing her to stumble slightly. This was immediately forgotten by Joey as she spotted Ruby pale and bleeding on the ground. She rushed over to the teenager and dropped to her knees next to her.

"Ruby?" Joey placed a hand on Ruby's cheek and felt that it was clammy. She looked up at Colin and narrowed her eyes at him angrily "What the fuck did you do to her?!"

Colin shrugged "She was trying to escape..." he moved out of the room but returned moments later with a first aid box and a bowl of water which he placed next to Joey "Here. That's all I have" with that he moved quickly out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Joey turned her attention back to Ruby and moved a strand of hair from her sweaty forehead "Rubz? Please wake up...Ruby?" no answer was forthcoming and Joey pushed back tears as she reached for a cloth. She dampened it slightly before raising it to the rather deep looking cut on Ruby's forehead.

"I'm sorry if I'm hurting you" she said softly as she gently wiped at the cut "But this really does have to be done..." she released a soft sob and lowered the cloth slowly "I'm so sorry Ruby...This is all my fault..." she took the teens hand in both of hers and squeezed it tightly. She looked up as she felt a soft squeeze to her hand "Rubz?"

Sure enough Ruby was blinking up at her fuzzily "Ugh...Joey?" she raised a hand to her forehead "Ow...I'm obviously hallucinating"

"You're not" Joey said softly shaking her head "I'm really here"

Ruby sat up quickly and flung herself into Joey's arms "Joey...I was so scared"

"It's okay" Joey soothed quietly though she felt tears burning her eyes "It's okay Ruby, I'm here now"

Ruby pulled back slightly to look at her "What about Charlie, Is she okay?!"

"Charlie's...Physically fine"

"Does that mean she's not mentally? Emotionally?" Ruby pressed.

"She's really worried about you" Joey said quietly "she's been an emotional wreck since you went missing...We were really scared..." she pulled Ruby back into a tight Embrace "God, I'm so glad you're okay...It's really good to see you"

"I wish I could say the same" Ruby smiled softly as Joey pulled away slightly "Not that it's not great to see you...Because I've missed you and Charlie like crazy in this place but...Seeing you means that you're stuck here as well, right?"

"Right" Joey sighed. She raised a hand to Ruby's forehead and touché the cut gently with her fingertips "That looks like it hurts" As if on cue Ruby flinched from her touch causing Joey to pull her hand back quickly "Sorry"

"It's fine" Ruby winced "It just...really does hurt. A lot. I was trying to run...To get to you and Charlie..."

"I know" Joey said softly as she reached for the first aid box "Let me take care of that for you okay?"

"Okay" Ruby smiled softly "Hey, Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm kind of glad you're here...It's getting really boring"

Joey laughed out loud despite herself "Only you could complain of boredom at a time like this Rubz..."

---

"Watson!" Charlie said as she entered the station "Has there been any news about Ruby? Or anything at all?"

"I che..." Watson was interrupted by the phone on her desk ringing "Sorry Charlie, I have to take this" Charlie waved a hand and Watson answered the phone.

"Constable Watson Speaking" she said professionally. She turned silent and frowned in concern after a moment "Really?" she nodded pensively to herself "That's not good..." Charlie stepped slightly closer to the desk and gazed at Watson in worry "Uh-huh...Are you sure...Okay. Thank you" she hung up and stood up gazing at Charlie in trepidation "Charlie? Where is Joey, Right now?"

"She's at home" Charlie answered slowly, dread beginning to seep in "Why?"

"I checked up on Robbo..." Watson said quickly "He's still in prison but he's talking about getting revenge...something about somebody getting revenge for him...on Joey..."

"Joey..." Charlie whispered "Oh My God..." she turned and ran from the station as quickly as she could, ignoring Watson yelling at her. She rushed to her car and drove home as quickly as possible. She jumped out of the vehicle and rushed into the house not even bothering to turn the engine off or close the door.

"JO?!" she yelled, glancing around quickly. She paled as she noticed what seemed to be like the aftermath of a struggle "No...JOEY?!" she rushed through the house and into their bedroom "JOEY?!" she felt tears course down her cheeks and finding her legs unable to support her dropped to her knees.

"JOEY?!!" she screamed loudly. She leaned forward and began to sob quietly into her hand "Jo..."

---

Joey had just finished applying a bandage to the wound on Ruby's temple when the door was flung open and Colin casually walked into the room. Both girls stood up quickly and he grinned smugly at the control he had over them.

"I see you're awake" he nodded carelessly at Ruby "Maybe that will teach you not to try to escape"

"Why are you doing this?" Joey asked quietly as she reached for Ruby's hand and clutched it tightly.

"Why am I doing this?" Colin laughed bitterly "I'm doing this because of _you_ Joey. Because Of what you did to us!"

"Who is us?" Joey questioned in confusion "And what are you talking about? I didn't do anything to you!"

"YOU DID!" the man yelled angrily "You're just too blind to see it!" he pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at Ruby "I'm going to make you pay Joey...By hurting the people you love. Just like you did to me!"

Joey stepped in front of Ruby without hesitating "Point that thing away from her"

The man smirked but still looked puzzled as he lowered the gun "You're willing to die for her?" he shook his head in amusement "Oh this is going to be fun...Especially when your girlfriend get's here"

"Leave her the hell alone" Joey growled angrily.

Colin shook his head at them "I'll be back" he walked out of the door and locked it securely behind him.

Joey released a sigh of relief and turned to Ruby who was gazing at her in shock "What?"

"You just stepped in front of a gun for me" Ruby said slowly.

"And?" Joey shrugged.

"You hate guns and...He could have shot you!" The younger girl exclaimed.

"At least he wouldn't have shot you" Joey said softly "Are you okay by the way?"

"I think so" Ruby nodded as she lowered herself back to the ground and leaned against the wall "Just dizzy...And cold..."

Joey sat down next to her and placed a hand on her forehead, careful to avoid her injury "Jesus Ruby, you're boiling up!"

"I'm freezing" Ruby argued.

Joey pulled Ruby gently into her arms "You're shivering..."

"Cold" Ruby reminded her. She tightened her hold on Joey slightly "I have been here for a few days and in case you haven't already noticed it's freezing and there's no heating"

"I think you have a fever" Joey muttered quietly.

"Uh-huh"

"Is this helping?" Joey asked referring to her embrace "Or am I just invading your personal space for nothing?"

"It's warmer" Ruby said softly as she shifted slightly closer to the other girl.

"I'm so sorry about this Rubz" Joey murmured quietly "This is all my fault..."

"It's not" Ruby responded instantly "It's his fault...He's crazy"

They fell into silence for a moment before Ruby spoke up again.

"Ch...Charlie's going to be worried" she stuttered through the cold.

"I know" Joey sighed as she turned her gaze to Ruby in worry "I hope she's okay"

"I'm kinda scared..." Ruby said tearfully "I've been trying not to show it...to him but I'm _really_ scared Jo"

"I know" the older girl gently moved a strand of hair which was stuck to the teen's clammy cheek "But I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you, okay Rubz?"

"Okay" Ruby sniffled tightening her hold on Joey.

Joey closed her eyes to stop her tears as she held onto the shaking teen.

---

Charlie sobbed quietly to herself as she curled up on Ruby's bed clutching tightly to the picture of her, Joey and Ruby "How am I going to do this alone?"

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Charlie blinked her eyes open sleepily and groaned as light hit her eyes. She rolled over and automatically reached out to the other side of the bed "Joey..." when she felt only cold sheets next to her she shot up in the bed as memories of the previous two nights filled her head "Oh my God..." she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms securely around them as she felt tears burn her eyes. She glanced to her right and released a small sob as she noticed the picture she had been clutching last night. She picked it up tentatively and gazed at it in contemplation. It showed Joey sitting in between Charlie and Ruby who both had tight grips on her arms to keep her from moving. Despite Joey's reluctance all three girls had bright smiles on their faces.

"Fight for them" Charlie whispered to herself "Get up and fight for them Charlie" she took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes before she jumped up from the bed and began to pull her clothes on.

"Charlie?" Leah looked up as Charlie rushed out of her room "What's going on?"

"Nothing" Charlie answered "Everything's fine...Well not fine because Joey and Ruby are still missing but nothing's gotten any worse yet so..." she glanced around quickly "Have you seen my keys?"

"Kitchen table" Leah responded though concern still showed on her features "Are you sure yo..."

"I'm fine. Honestly" Charlie reassured her quickly "I'm just going out for a while..." she offered Leah a weak smile before she hurried from the room. She jumped quickly into her car and fumbled to start the engine anxious to get to the station. She somehow managed to do so without breaking any speeding laws.

"Charlie..." Watson stood up as Charlie entered the station "How are you?"

"I'm...Fine" Charlie frowned as the lie left her mouth "But I need to talk to you..." she motioned towards her office and walked away leaving Watson to follow her.

"So..." Watson said as she entered the room and shut the door behind her "What's going on? The last time I saw you, you were a bit of a mess and now..."

"Yeah" Charlie winced as she sat down, remembering the past two days "I guess I had some sort of...subtle revelation"

"Oh...So what can I do for you?"

"I need you to come with me to the prison where they're keeping Robbo" Charlie answered slowly "I need to talk to him. And I need you there with me because I'm on leave"

"I don't think that's a very good idea" Watson argued "There's no guarantee that he'll tell you anything..."

"I have to do something" Charlie stated tightly "I can't just sit around here and do nothing while my sister and girlfriend are in danger!"

Watson's eyes widened in surprise. She knew that Joey and Charlie were a couple of course but this was the first time Charlie had outwardly referred to Joey as her girlfriend.

"What?" Charlie tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Nothing" Watson shook her head "Never mind"

"So are you with me or not?!" Charlie demanded quietly. Her gaze softened when Watson still looked unsure "Please, Watson! I can't lose them" she felt tears rise in her eyes for what felt like the millionth time in the last two days but stubbornly pushed them back.

Watson sighed heavily and raised a hand to her forehead "I can't believe I'm doing this...You shouldn't be working at all never mind chasing after criminals...I'm with you"

"Thank you" Charlie smiled genuinely for the first time in days "This really means a lot to me"

Watson shrugged and glanced away self consciously "Don't worry about it..." she looked back at Charlie "So when do we leave?"

"Now" Charlie stood up and moved quickly to the door leaving the other police officer gaping after her.

"Now" Watson groaned "Of course it would be now!" she shook her head and followed Charlie from the office.

---

"Wakey, Wakey!" Colin grinned as he flung the door of 'the room' open.

"You're out of your mind" Ruby groaned as she raised a hand to her aching head. Joey stood up next to her and faced the man in front of them.

"Probably" Colin nodded sombrely "But whose fault is that?"

"Your own?" Joey guessed, raising an eyebrow at him. His expression immediately darkened when his eyes fell on her.

"No" he muttered "That would be yours"

"I didn't _do anything_!" Joey exclaimed angrily "I had never even met you before we got on that boat Colin!"

"You're right" The man nodded as he sat on the floor and leaned against the door casually "But you were affecting me long before we met Joey"

"I have no idea what you're talking about"

"You'll see soon" Colin grinned "And then..."

"What?" Joey questioned nervously "What are you going to do?"

"I already told you...I'm going to have our revenge. I'm going to hurt the two people you love the most"

"Just because I rejected you?" Joey asked in disbelief.

"And when you find everything out" Colin continued "You'll see that it's all your fault. If you weren't such a slut..."

"HEY!" Ruby yelled from the ground. She winced slightly as pain shot through her head but managed to stagger to her feet next to Joey "Shut up...Don't you dare talk about her like that!"

Joey smiled weakly at the younger girl before she turned her attention warily back to the amused man in front of them.

"It's quite sad really" Colin commented quietly "That you all care about each other so much...It's just going to make it all the more painful for you all" Ruby and Joey stayed silent and he rolled his eyes at them "Back to the silent treatment?" he got to his feet and observed them closely "This will be so much more interesting when Charlie gets here...Then the real revenge can begin"

"What is your problem?!" Joey exclaimed loudly, growing angrier by the second "I haven't done anything to you! And...Even if I had, why would you want to hurt _them?!"_

"Because that's what you did to me!" Colin snarled furiously. He calmed down after a moment and smiled smugly "Now you get to go through the pain of watching them hurt...It will all start when Charlie gets here. That's when thing start to get interesting. Yeah..." he nodded to himself, seeming almost oblivious to Joey and Ruby's presences. He looked up at Joey and grinned evilly "If you ask me she looks to be a screamer..."

Joey released a low growl and immediately started towards him. Ruby grabbed her wrist to stop her and held on tightly "Joey...Don't! He has a gun...Remember?" when the older girl stopped struggling Ruby pulled her back to her side and turned her glare to Colin "You're sick!"

"Quite possibly" Colin nodded to himself. He turned towards the door and opened it "I have to leave for a while...I'm sure I'll be back very soon"

"If you touch them..." Joey stepped forward slightly.

"You'll what?" the man laughed without turning to face her "There's nothing you can do Joey...All you can do is wait" he left the room and shut the door behind them.

"HEY!" Joey yelled as she pulled away from Ruby's hold and rushed over to the door "LET US GO!" she banged hard on the door with the side of her fist "Damn it!" she felt tears burn in her eyes and allowed them to fall freely for the first time in days as she punched the door furiously.

"Joey..." Ruby walked slowly over to the other girl, attempting to ignore the pain which shot through her muscles at the movement. She reach out to Joey tentatively and placed a hand on her arm "Stop it...You're going to hurt yourself. And you're kind of scaring me"

Joey stopped her furious battering of the door and turned back to Ruby tearfully "I'm sorry Ruby...I just...I don't know what to do..."

"I know" Ruby whispered before she pulled Joey into a tight hug "I know..." they slumped to the floor together as their tears flowed freely.

---

"Okay" Charlie took a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily before looking back at Watson "I'm going in"

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Watson asked in concern "What if he says something and you hit him?"

Charlie shrugged "I'll try not to"

"But you don't remember him...You don't know...."

"I'll be fine Watson!" Charlie turned toward the door and nodded at the guard who pushed it open for her. She stepped inside and tensed when she saw Robbo sitting at the table waiting for her. He watched her with amused interest as she took a seat opposite him and gazed at him with barely concealed anger.

"Well?" he asked, leaning casually back in his chair "What is it that you want Senior Constable Buckton?"

"Where is Joey?" Charlie asked bluntly "and why has your lackey taken my sister?!"

Robbo's eyes widened in surprise "Your sister?"

"Yes" Charlie nodded "She's gone missing...Kidnapped. I want to know where she is"

"I don't know why anyone would want to take your sister" Robbo shrugged "Joey however...is a different matter"

"Where is she?!" Charlie asked lowly as she leaned across the table slightly "If you've hurt her..."

"Hurt her?!" Robbo laughed bitterly "I'm in prison! What damage could I do?"

"Where is she?" Charlie repeated, glancing self consciously at the guard.

"I don't know" Robbo grinned "I don't really care"

"You were ranting about revenge...Something about somebody else getting revenge for you. Why would you want revenge on Joey?"

"Are you serious?" Robbo almost yelled "I'm stuck in here until that stupid trial because of her, for absolutely nothing!"

"You raped her!" Charlie growled furiously "You deserve to be stuck in here!"

"Whatever..."

"Where is she?!" Charlie asked furiously "Tell me where she is Robbo!"

"Why do you care so much?" Robbo questioned raising an eyebrow at her "It's like you're in...Oh..." he grinned smugly when Charlie fell silent and looked away from him "You're dating Joey?"

"That's none of your business"

"So just because your little girlfriend is missing you decided to come and hassle me?"

"Shut up!" Charlie exclaimed "Just tell me where Joey and Ruby are right now!"

"That has nothing to do with me" the man shrugged "What Colin doe..." he stopped talking when he realised he had slipped.

"Colin?" Charlie echoed "Who's Colin?!"

"Nobody"

"Is Colin the guy who has taken Joey and my sister?!"

"No comment" Robbo replied dryly.

"Where are they?!" Charlie demanded loudly.

"No comment"

"TELL ME!" Charlie stood up quickly causing her chair to fall backwards and slammed her hands down on the table "Where are they?!"

"No. Comment." Robbo grinned slyly. He stood up and stepped away from the table "I think it's time for you to leave"

Charlie gritted her teeth in anger "Robbo?"

"Uh-huh?" Robbo responded casually.

"You're going down for what you did to Joey...I'll see to that" Charlie said quietly so the guard didn't hear them "And after this...You'll be lucky if you ever see the light of day again" she turned and walked out of the room without so much as a backward glance.

"Well?" Watson questioned anxiously "What did he say?"

"Some guy called Colin has them" Charlie replied quietly.

"He told you that?"

Charlie shook her head "He slipped"

"That's good though isn't it?" Watson asked unsurely.

"A name doesn't bring us any closer to finding them..." Charlie said quietly.

---

"Rubz?" Joey questioned hoarsely into the dark room as she nudged the teenager next to her gently "Ruby you have to stay awake"

"Huh?" Ruby jerked awake and lifted her head from Joey's shoulder "What? Why?"

"The cut on your head is worrying me...You might have concussion"

"But I've already been asleep" Ruby yawned sleepily "It's been two days since I got this...Wouldn't we already know?"

"I don't know" Joey responded quietly. She frowned after a moment "God you're shaking like a leaf"

"It's really cold" Ruby said quietly. She whimpered quietly when Joey pulled away from her and so took away her main source of warmth.

Joey turned around on the ground so that she was kneeling in front of the younger girl "Ruby, Honey?" Ruby looked up at her and Joey placed the back of her hand on the teen's forehead "Shit..."

"What?" Ruby coughed "What's wrong?"

"You have a temperature" Joey said softly; worry shining in her dark eyes as she moved gently moved a strand of hair which was stuck to the teen's clammy cheek "You're really boiling up!"

Ruby shrugged and wrapped her arms tightly around herself "It's really freezing in this room" sure enough she was visibly shaking.

"Are you hurting anywhere?" Joey questioned scanning Ruby briefly from injuries.

"I hurt everywhere" Ruby answered quietly "Like muscle aches...But my head really hurts as well"

"Okay" Joey sat back slightly and look thoughtful "Cold, High temperature, Sweating, Muscle aches, headaches though that is to be expected..." she bit her lip nervously "It could be hypothermia...You have been here for quite a few days and it' really cold in here..."

"Cold?" Ruby stuttered, shivering uncontrollably "It's freezing!"

Joey observed the younger girl for a moment before she nodded to herself "Right..." she sat up slightly and pulled her hoodie off, suddenly thankful that she had been wearing it over her t-shirt.

"W...What are you doing?" Ruby asked quietly "You'll freeze!"

"I'll be fine" Joey replied reassuringly "Just put that on"

"But..."

"Come on Rubz" Joey said pleadingly "You're shivering and sick so just put it on!"

"But I don't want you to get sick too" Ruby sniffled quietly.

"I won't" Joey smiled softly "I'm used to the cold...Being out on boats at night can be freezing. So I'll be fine"

"Fine" Ruby reluctantly pulled the hoodie on over her shirt. She patted the spot next to he and Joey resumed her previous position leaning against the wall at Ruby's side. The teenager instantly shifted closer to the older girl and Joey wrapped an arm around her tightly, trying to keep her as warm as possible.

"Is that helping?" she asked quietly after a few minutes.

"Huh?" Ruby jumped, having been on the verge of sleep "Oh yeah. Thanks Joey. Let me know if you get cold, okay? Then you can have it back"

"I don't want it back" Joey whispered "You can keep it"

They fell into silence for a while before Ruby spoke up weakly "Jo?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we're going to get out of this?" Ruby choked out tearfully "Are we going to...die?"

"I'm not going to let that happen" Joey said determinedly though her voice shook with emotion "I'm going to protect you. No matter what"

"It kind of scares me when you talk like that" Ruby said softly as she tightened her hold on the older girl "Makes me think you're going to do something stupid which will get you hurt"

Joey sighed "Don't worry about that"

"You're not, are you?" Ruby questioned worriedly "You're not going to do anything stupid?"

Joey hesitated for a moment "No"

"Good" Ruby sighed in relief and laid her head back on Joey's shoulder "Jo?"

"Mmmhm?" Joey mumbled.

"I miss Charlie" Ruby said quietly.

"I know. So do I" Joey pushed back tears at the thought of her girlfriend's pain.

"She's probably worrying herself sick..."

"Yeah, she will be..."

"I can't wait to go home" Ruby whispered "I hate this place"

"Me too" Joey agreed "When we get out of this...I'm going to take you and Charlie on a boat somewhere, to get away from all the craziness..."

"Hmmn" Ruby hummed sleepily "that would be nice" she fell silent for a moment and Joey nudged her gently.

"Rubz?"

"Huh?" Ruby once again jerked awake "Oh right...Gotta stay awake"

"Uh..." Joey stayed silent for a moment trying to think of a way to distract the younger girl "Tell me something. About Charlie. That I don't know"

Ruby smiled "Okay...Probably not quite the way she expected her embarrassing secrets to come out but, okay" she thought for a moment before she spoke up again "There was this one time when we were younger..."

Joey listened to Ruby though Worry for the younger girl still plagued her.

---

"DAMN IT!" Charlie swiped the files off her desk in one angry motion. She sank back down onto her chair and sighed heavily "Colin...Who the hell is Colin?!"

She stood up and retrieved her file from the floor "I have to keep going..." she glanced at the picture which miraculously still lay on her desk "For them..." she bent down and picked up a stray piece of paper from the floor and scanned it quickly though her eyes stopped on one line.

"Oh My God..."

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews guys. I really appreciate your comments. Sorry about the lateness by the way... wasn't letting me upload so I had to find a way around that. **

**Just a quick FYI...Colin is an original character. Completely made up. Belongs to me though I kind of wish that he didn't lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry for the cliff-hanger at the end (As usual) :)**

Chapter 17

Charlie leaned back in her chair and allowed her eyelids to slide shut in a futile attempt to sooth her aching eyes.

"Coffee..." she mumbled tiredly "I need more coffee" she opened her eyes and stood up before blearily stumbling out of her office.

"Charlie?" Watson frowned as she took in the sight of the other woman "You look like hell"

"Thanks" Charlie yawned as she grabbed Watson's freshly made coffee and sipped at it tentatively. She shrugged innocently at the glare she received "What?"

Watson sighed in frustration "Nothing...Have you found anything out yet?"

Charlie hesitated for a moment before answering "No...Not yet"

"Oh" Watson couldn't help the frown which settled across her features "So what are we going to do now?"

Charlie motioned subtly towards her office before she moved towards it. Though confused, Watson followed her a moment later, closing the door behind her.

"I need to burrow your gun" Charlie blurted out.

"My GUN?!"

"Your gun" Charlie nodded in confirmation as she sat on the edge of her desk.

"Why?" Watson questioned nervously "Are you planning on shooting somebody?"

"Not if I can help it...It depends on what I find when I get there"

"Get where?"

"To Joey and Ruby" Charlie answered shiftily "I don't know where that is right now but I'll find it"

"Don't you have your own gun?" Watson bit her lip nervously "Why do you need mine?"

"That's...complicated"

"Wait..." Watson frowned when something occurred to her "You're not planning on doing this alone, are you?"

"I have to" Charlie said firmly "If anybody else is involved Joey and my sister will only be in more danger"

"You sound like you know more about this Colin guy than you're telling me" Watson observed.

"I don't..."

"I don't think I believe you...and I can't let you do this on your own anyway"

"I have to do this alone!" Charlie stressed as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration "It's the only way to keep them safe"

"Why?" Watson demanded "How do you know that?"

"Because I do!" Charlie exclaimed "Now are you going to help me with this or not?!"

"Shit" Watson swore "I could get fired for this you know...If anybody else had asked me to risk my job I would have told them where to stick it..." she shook her head and pulled her gun out before holding it out to Charlie .

"Thank you" Charlie said sincerely as she took the gun and tucked it into her jeans under her jacket "This really means a lot to me..."

Watson shrugged "I still don't think you should be doing this alone..."

"I have..."

"...Especially considering the state you're in right now"

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed in slight offence as she looked down at herself "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You didn't sleep last night did you?" Watson asked.

"No" Charlie shook her head "I was busy"

"You can't do anything while you're this tired" Watson spoke reasonably "You need sleep or you'll be virtually useless to Joey and Ruby"

"I'll be fine" Charlie stood up from the desk and walked towards the door "Thanks for this Watson"

"It's fine" Watson responded quietly "But Charlie?"

"Yeah?" Charlie looked over her shoulder at the other woman.

"Be careful"

"I'm always careful" Charlie offered a weak smile before she walked out of the door.

---

Joey blinked her eyes open tiredly and winced when she registered the pins and needles shooting through her right arm. She glanced at Ruby who was still sleeping soundly next to her "Rubz?" Ruby showed no sign of hearing her and Joey pulled away slightly, careful to keep the other girl upright.

"Ow" she groaned, rubbing at her sore arm when she was finally free. She looked closely at the teenager to see that her brow was soaked in sweat. She reached out tentatively and placed her hand on Ruby's forehead wincing when she felt the heat which radiated from her "Fuck..."

"What do I do?" Joey stood up and began pacing back and forth anxiously. She hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and moving over to the door. She knocked on it with her right hand though she instantly regretted it when her hand, injured from hitting the very same door last night protested painfully. She switched hands and resumed her knocking.

"HEY!" she yelled loudly. She stepped back from the door and it was pushed open a matter of seconds later.

"What?!" Colin asked irritably "What do you want?"

"Ruby's sick" Joey explained, trying to keep her anger in check "I need bottled water, preferably mineral, another first aid kit and some ice"

"What do you think this is, a goddamn Hotel?" he smirked. When Joey merely glared at him he rolled his eyes "Fine, I'll be right back" he turned on his heel and walked away, not bothering to close the door after him. Joey stepped out of the room slightly and immediately noticed the padlock that had been put on the front door "Crap..."

"Didn't think I would let you get away that easy did you?" Colin grinned as he reappeared with the requested items. He handed them to Joey when she backed up into the room "I'll be seeing you soon" with that said he closed the door.

Joey shook her head "Crazy" she moved over to Ruby and kneeled down in front of her depositing the items at her side.

"Rubz?" she questioned softly as she shook the teen's shoulder gently "Ruby?!" when no answer was forthcoming she swallowed fearfully "Ruby, Wake up!" she moved closer when the other girl still showed no response and felt tears form in her eyes "No...RUBY?!" she tapped her gently on her cheek.

"Go 'way Joey" Ruby mumbled sleepily, batting Joey's hand away.

"Thank God" Joey sighed in relief.

"What?" Ruby blinked up at her blearily "What's wrong?"

"I thought you were in a coma or something!"

"No" Ruby smiled "I'm fine" she sat up slightly and groaned in pain "Or not"

"Drink this" Joey said quietly, handing her a bottle of water "It should help"

"Help with what?" Ruby winced as she took the bottle "What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know" the older girl confessed quietly "It could be hypothermia or pneumonia or...I don't know Rubz"

"Its okay" Ruby closed her eyes momentarily before reopening them and offering Joey a brave smile "I'll be fine"

Joey gazed at her silently for a moment, feeling tears welling up in her eyes once again.

"Hey" Ruby said in alarm as Joey unwillingly released a quiet sob. She shifted forward slightly though it pained her to do so and placed her hand on Joey's arm "What's wrong?"

"This is all my fault" Joey said quietly "It's my fault that you're sick and that Charlie's in danger!"

"That's not true" Ruby stated firmly "None of this is your fault...it's HIS, okay?!"

"But..."

"No! I don't want to hear it Joey" the teenager took Joey's hand in her own causing the other girl to look up at her "You can't blame yourself for this...You didn't do anything!"

"He seems to think I did..." Joey sighed.

"I don't c..." Ruby was interrupted when the door was flung open and Colin walked in.

"Aaaw" he mocked "Aren't you two sweet?" he grinned cockily at them as he leaned against the door.

"Shut up" Joey said in as firm a voice as she could muster. She quickly wiped her tears away hoping he wouldn't notice and stood up to face him "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything" Colin scowled "It's too late for that..." his frown morphed back into a grin in a matter of seconds "but on the plus side...Charlie will be here soon"

"Leave her alone" Ruby said weakly from the ground. She pulled herself to her feet using the wall to help her.

"You don't look very well" Colin said in mock concern.

"I'm fine!" Ruby growled angrily "Though I'd be much better if I wasn't stuck in this hell hole!"

"Well" the man shrugged carelessly "You know whose fault that is"

"Yeah, yours!"

"No, not mine" Colin shook his head and motioned towards Joey "Hers...now if you excuse me I have to go and get prepared before I go to Charlie tonight"

"Stay away from her!" Joey demanded stepping slightly closer to him.

"Joey..." Ruby warned quietly from behind her.

"Or what?!" Colin stepped closer to her so they were mere inches from each other "I already told you Joey I'm going to have my revenge and there's nothing you can do or say which will stop me"

"Just because I rejected you on the boat?!" Joey asked incredulously "You're pathetic!"

Colin released a low growl and backhanded her hard. Joey's head swung to the right but she didn't back down.

"Joey!" Ruby exclaimed, moving toward her as quickly as she could. She finally reached her and attempted to pull her a safe distance from Colin.

"That isn't the only reason!" Colin growled "You'll see soon..." he walked out and slammed the door behind him causing Ruby to wince in pain.

"Are you okay?" the younger girl asked in concern as she examined Joey's split lip.

"I'm fine" Joey whispered quietly. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it before guiding Ruby gently back to her position, leaning against the wall "You probably shouldn't move too much Rubz" she grabbed the ice pack from the ground and pressed it against Ruby's forehead.

"Did I mention I was freezing?" Ruby shivered, pulling away slightly.

"A few times" Joey smiled weakly "But this is for your own good..."

"What's his problem anyway?"Ruby winced slightly.

"Sorry" Joey muttered as she pulled the blood stained bandage from Ruby's forehead "This looks sore. As for him, I have no idea what his problem is"

"Oh" Ruby said quietly as Joey pressed a new bandage to the cut on her head "Hey, Jo?"

"Yeah?" Joey leaned back against the wall next to Ruby.

"Did you ever think we'd get on this well?" Ruby smiled and closed her eyes.

"No" Joey laughed quietly "Absolutely not"

"Charlie would be ecstatic that we care about each other so much...She really wants us to get along..."

"Yeah" Joey nodded in agreement "She really would be..."

"I wonder if she's okay..." Ruby said quietly, concern colouring her tone.

"I hope so" Joey shifted slightly and wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulders "I really hope so"

---

"Okay" Charlie took a deep breath and nodded to herself "I'm ready..." she glanced around the dark beach and quickly rechecked to make sure she still had her guns.

"This could be a really bad idea..." she whispered to herself.

"Most likely" a male voice from behind her stated quietly causing her to pull out her gun and spin around pointing it directly at the person in front of her. She swallowed nervously when she noticed that he too held a gun loosely in his grip.

"You must be Charlie" he grinned at her "It's nice to meet you...sort of"

"Where are Joey and Ruby?!" Charlie demanded quietly, taking a step forward.

"Give me your gun and I'll take you to them" the man offered.

"Take me to them and I'll give you the gun" Charlie challenged.

Colin smirked at her "Fine" he turned and lead the way to his car. Charlie followed silently making sure to keep an eye on his movements. She hesitated for a moment before getting in. The drive was made in silence though Charlie was watching the man closely, trying to find any recognisable features. They finally came to a stop and he led her into an old worn down house.

"Gun" he stated quietly, holding his hand out. Charlie gave it to him without argument and he moved further into the house opening a door for her. She stepped inside and he closed it quickly behind her. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room but when they did she immediately spotted Joey and Ruby huddled together against the wall. She searched for a light quickly and flicked it on, surprised when it actually worked. Charlie quickly moved over to her girlfriend and sister and kneeled down in front of them.

"Joey? Ruby?" she whispered. They both jerked awake and Charlie felt tears burn in her eyes at what they must have been through in the past few days. They both stared at her silently for a moment before launching themselves into her arms.

"I missed you both so much" Charlie whispered tearfully. She pulled away after a moment and smiled reassuringly at them "I'm going to get us out of here, okay?"

"How?" Ruby questioned weakly "You're stuck in this room too..."

Charlie frowned at her sister's pallor "I have a plan..." she reached out and placed her hand on Ruby's forehead shocked at the clamminess and the heat radiating from it. She frowned as she noticed the bandage on her sister's forehead.

"What happened?" she asked in concern.

"Joey..." Ruby coughed slightly and tugged at Joey's sleeve indicating that she should tell Charlie her theory.

"I think she has hypothermia" Joey spoke up quietly "It's really freezing in here...Plus that bastard hit her on the head with his gun so that wouldn't have helped"

Charlie nodded and smiled weakly at Joey before turning her gaze to Ruby "Are you okay Rubz? Are you hurt anywhere else? I promise I'm going to get you out of here as soon as possible"

"I'm fine" Ruby said quietly. She motioned towards Joey "Joey was looking out for me"

Charlie turned towards Joey and smiled genuinely "Thanks Jo"

"No problem" Joey shrugged as she stood up.

Charlie stood up next to her and pulled her closer placing a soft kiss on her lips. She pulled back slightly when she tasted blood and ran a finger over Joey's bottom lip "What happened?"

"Colin punched me" Joey shrugged "It's not a big deal...Really"

"Hey" Ruby said from the ground "A little help over here?"

Joey and Charlie turned to her quickly and helped her to her feet.

"Thanks" The teenager winced as she leaned against the wall.

"Charlie?" Joey asked quietly "Do you know what this guy's problem is with me?"

"Yeah, Joey about that..."

The door slammed open causing them all to turn to it in alarm to see Colin standing there, gun in hand. Charlie instantly moved to stand protectively between him and Joey and Ruby.

"Well!" he exclaimed happily "Now that we're all here the real revenge can begin!" he motioned towards Charlie with his gun before pointing it at the wall opposite "You. Over there"

"No way..."

"Move it! Or my finger might accidently slip on this trigger"

Charlie glanced at Joey who nodded at her before reluctantly moving over to the wall.

"Now I suppose everybody wants to know why they're here" the man said quietly, shifting the gun casually from hand to hand "Am I right?"

"I don't" Charlie said from where she was standing "I already know"

Colin raised an eyebrow in interest "Well this makes it all the more interesting! Why don't you tell us all?"

Charlie sighed "You want revenge because you think that your brother is in jail for nothing."

"Brother?" Joey repeated hoarsely "Robbo?!"

"...And you've decided to pin the blame on Joey" Charlie continued "Which is why you got on that boat with her...So you could have your so called 'revenge' but it didn't work, did it?"

"No" Colin shook his head "But I'll have it now" he pointed his gun directly at Joey and Ruby but was distracted by Charlie's yell.

"Hold it!"

He glanced at her and smirked when he noticed that she held a gun in her hand "You tricked me..."

"So?" Charlie muttered, stepping slightly closer.

"Put the gun down" Colin said quietly "Or I'll shoot"

"Not if I shoot you first"

"But by that time one of them will already have been shot" the man muttered "Now put the gun down"

Charlie lowered her gun slightly "Put yours down"

"I've been waiting for my revenge for a long time" Colin drawled "I'm not going to let the opportunity pass me by now"

Charlie watched almost in slow motion as he pointed the gun at her sister and squeezed the trigger. She watched Joey push Ruby roughly out of the way causing them both to fall to the ground. She raised her own gun and fired a neutralising shot at the man in front of her causing him to drop to the ground.

"Joey!" She heard Ruby gasp. Charlie turned quickly from the man and rushed over to her sister and girlfriend.

"Oh my god!" she gasped noticing the blood pouring freely from Joey's side.

"Its okay" Joey muttered hoarsely "I think it's just a graze"

Charlie shook her head quietly and applied pressure to the wound "It's not" she glanced quickly at Ruby who stood gazing at them speechlessly "Rubz?" Ruby showed no sign of responding and Charlie raised her voice slightly "RUBY!"

"What?" Ruby finally moved over to them and dropped to her knees next to Joey "What should I do?!"

"Call an ambulance!" Charlie said quickly.

"But I don't know where we are!"

"Fuck...Uh I saw a sign outside. It said Melrose or something..."

Ruby nodded quickly and began dialling.

"Jo?" Charlie said quietly as she returned her gaze to her girlfriend "Joey, talk to me!"

Joey forced her eyes open to look at Charlie "Charlie..." she smiled weakly at her.

"What were you thinking, jumping in front of bullets?!" Charlie scolded gently as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Had to protect Ruby" Joey coughed slightly "I told you I would, didn't I?"

"No" Charlie shook her head "You didn't..." she gently moved a strand of dark hair from Joey's face "But you did it anyway"

"Charlie?" Joey mumbled hoarsely.

"What is it?" Charlie leaned down close to Joey.

"I'm kind of dizzy..."

Charlie felt fear shoot through her as Joey's eyes began to flutter shut "Joey! No Joey don't close your eyes...Stay with me Honey"

Joey opened her eyes and smiled weakly at Charlie "You called me Honey"

Charlie laughed tearfully "Yeah, I did" she pressed a soft kiss to Joey's cheek "You're going to be okay..."

"I don't think I am..." Joey muttered weakly "I love you Charlie"

"I love you too" Charlie responded tearfully "But you're going to be fine...I promise. Don't you dare say your goodbyes Jo!"

Joey shook her head faintly as her eyes fluttered shut.

"Jo?" Charlie questioned in panic "Joey, Wake up!" there was no response and she felt the grip on her hand loosen slightly "JOEY!"

"She's not breathing" Ruby said tearfully from where she sat holding Joey's hand.

Charlie leaned forward and sobbed freely "JOEY!"

Sirens could be heard faintly in the distance.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Ruby" Charlie muttered hoarsely, attempting to push back her tears. She shifted slightly and managed to pull her jacket off without taking the pressure of her hands from Joey's wound. She slipped the jacket under her hand so that it pressed onto the wound in an attempt to stem the rapid blood flow.

"What?" Ruby questioned tearfully.

"I need you" Charlie stated as calmly as she could "Over here"

Ruby released Joey's limp hand and moved as quickly as she could to kneel at her sister's side "What?" she asked anxiously "What can I do?"

Charlie turned her gaze from Joey to her sister "I need you to put pressure on this as soon as I move okay? Don't let go no matter what...It's important"

Ruby swallowed nervously but nodded anyway "Y...Yeah okay, I can do that"

Charlie smiled weakly at her sister "Okay? Ready?" Ruby nodded and moved slightly closer "1...2...3!" Charlie moved her hand and Ruby quickly placed her own over Joey's wound. Charlie moved quickly to Joey's other side and knelt down next to her. She placed two fingers on her wrist and paused, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"There's no pulse" she said softly, tears stinging at her eyes. She looked tearfully to Ruby who didn't appear to be listening to her.

"Joey" Charlie moved her hand to her girlfriends' cheek "Jo, you can't do this. You have to..." she choked on a sob "You have to stay with us Jo. We need you. _I_ need you!" a moment passed and when Joey remained still Charlie's features hardened in determination. She interlocked her hands on Joey's chest and pressed down 5 times before gently tilting the younger girls head back. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Joey's breathing air into her lungs.

"Is it working?" Ruby questioned hopefully. Charlie didn't respond instead she continued to repeat the process unsuccessfully "Charlie..."

"I'm not giving up" Charlie panted breathlessly before she stubbornly returned to carrying out the CPR. She leaned down and listened closely to Joey's chest trying to find a heartbeat.

"She's breathing" Charlie said at last "And she has a pulse" she slumped back slightly breathing heavily.

"But she's losing blood really fast!" Ruby exclaimed in panic. She looked up at her sister with wide eyes and nodded at Joey's abdomen where both of her hands were currently pressed on the wound. Charlie glanced towards where the teenager was motioning and saw that indeed her jacket and Ruby's hands were covered in blood.

"Okay...its okay" she said calmly as she placed her hands atop Ruby's "I hear sirens...They sound close"

Ruby didn't have time to answer before two paramedics burst into the room and rushed over to the three girls.

---

Ruby chanced a worried glance at Charlie who was sitting next to her staring unseeingly at her blood stained hands. The youngest Buckton could tell that her sister was deep in thought and was hesitant to interrupt her but knew she had to anyway.

"Charlz?" when Charlie stayed silent Ruby released a forlorn sigh and raised her voice slightly "Charlie?"

"What?" Charlie mumbled, without looking away from her bloodstained hands.

"How did find out about Robbo?" Ruby asked curiously "And how did you 'trick' Colin?"

"Robbo slipped up" Charlie responded finally looking towards her sister "He told me that he was working with a guy named Colin. I went through all of his files trying to find anything out about this guy and finally found out that he was Robbo's brother. Which the other cops didn't know because they didn't think it was linked to Robbo..."

"Right" Ruby nodded unsurely.

"I figured that since they wanted Revenge on Joey and they had taken you...That I would be next" the older girl explained quietly "I convinced Watson to lend me her gun and I went to the beach at night to wait for him. Figured he would show up eventually. I tricked him by giving him _my_ gun. He thought I was unarmed. So...It all went to plan except...I didn't plan on Joey getting shot"

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"I hope so Rubz..." Charlie shrugged tearfully "We've just started to get our relationship on track...But she lost a lot of blood on the way to the hospital"

"She stepped in front of a bullet for me" Ruby said softly, guilt lacing her voice "Why would she do that? What...What was she thinking?"

"She cares about you" Charlie responded "She thinks of you as a sister...You know that"

"It was stupid!" Ruby exclaimed forcefully "She could DIE!"

Charlie turned toward her sister in disbelief and sighed when she noticed the tears which had gathered in the younger girls eyes. She turned slightly towards her and opened her arms "Come here Rubz"

Ruby moved quickly towards her sister and found herself instantly wrapped in a warm embrace.

"Joey knew what she was doing" Charlie whispered smoothing a hand comfortingly over Ruby's hair "She made a choice...This is in no way your fault"

"It is my fault!" Ruby sobbed quietly into Charlie's shoulder "She said that she would protect me no matter what and I...I told her not do anything stupid but she didn't listen to me!"

"Since when does Joey listen to anyone?" Charlie pulled away slightly and smiled weakly "If she had her mind set on protecting you nothing you say could have stopped her."

"But..."

"No buts" Charlie interrupted "This is not your fault okay?!"

Ruby didn't look convinced but she nodded anyway. She leaned back in her seat but kept her gaze fixed firmly on Charlie "I kind of missed you while I was away"

"You did?" Charlie offered her sister a small smile "I missed you too" she pulled Ruby closer to her and wrapped an arm around her reassuringly. They sat in silence for a moment before Charlie noticed Ruby shifting restlessly.

"Hey" she said in concern as she turned her gaze to the younger girl "Are you okay Rubz?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded. She exhaled deeply and waved a hand in front of her face in a fanning motion "It's just...is it hot in here?"

"I don't think so" Charlie watched in worry as Ruby stood up in front of her and moved away slightly.

"Ruby? Maybe you should sit down"

"No" Ruby shook her head and tugged uncomfortably at the hoodie she wore. Charlie couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips when she realised that it was Joey's "I'll be fine...I mean Joey said that I had uh...Hypothermia or...."

Charlie frowned when she noticed that her sister's speech was slurred "Ruby..."

Ruby shook her head as if to clear it as the room began to spin around her "Charlie? Everything's moving...I think I'm going to..."

"RUBY!" Charlie exclaimed as Ruby collapsed to the ground. She jumped up from her seat and raced over to her sister, dropping to her knees next to her. Rachel who had been approaching them anyway picked up her pace until she reached Ruby's side.

"What happened?" she asked Charlie quickly as she knelt down next to the teenager. She placed two fingers on Ruby's wrist relieved when she felt a pulse. Her relief faded as she moved her hand to the young girl's forehead and almost winced at the temperature.

"She was stuck in a freezing room for about a week" Charlie answered guiltily "Joey said that she had hypothermia but with all of this going on...I completely forgot! How could I just forget?!"

Rachel didn't respond and instead pulled Charlie away as Ruby was picked up and placed gently onto a hospital trolley.

"What's going on?!" Charlie questioned anxiously "What's wrong with her? Where is she going?!"

"Slow down" Rachel responded calmly as she guided Charlie into the seat behind her "We're just going to run some tests...She's still breathing and has a pulse though it is quite weak so...that's a good sign that the hypothermia hasn't gotten too far" Charlie nodded slowly though she still looked alarmed for her sister "As for Joey...She's going to be fine. The bullet luckily missed all of her vital organs but did cause quite a bit of bleeding which as well as the shock is the reason that she passed out"

"She's going to be okay?" Charlie questioned hopefully "Really?"

"Really" Rachel nodded "You can go and see her if you want..." noticing Charlie's hesitance she smiled reassuringly and continued "I'll tell you as soon as anything happens with Ruby...I promise"

"Thanks Rachel" Charlie smiled weakly at the doctor before standing up "Uh...Which room?"

"Follow me" Rachel stood up and led Charlie through the corridors to a room. Charlie thanked her profusely before entering the room.

"Joey?" she whispered into the stillness. She received no answer and sighed sadly as she moved over to the hospital bed. She moved her chair closer to the bed and took Joey's hand in her own, placing a delicate kiss on her palm "You have to wake up Jo...I need you with me. Ruby's sick and I just...I really need you right now..." she stopped talking and held her breath when she felt a slight squeeze to her hand as if Joey was unconsciously comforting her but released it when her girlfriend made no other movement. She leaned forward and rested her head on her arm on the bed. She fell asleep in a matter of minutes as the exhaustion from the last couple of days finally caught up with her.

---

Charlie stirred slowly in her sleep "Joey?"

"Charlie"

Charlie's eyes shot open at the unexpected reply and she straightened up to look directly at Joey who was smiling down at her lovingly "Joey! You're awake!"

"Yeah I...mmph!" Joey was cut off from replying as Charlie leaned forward and kissed her passionately. Though she was slightly surprised at first she responded with equal fervour. They were both slightly breathless when they pulled away.

"Wow!" Joey gasped her cheeky grin sliding into place "I take it you missed me?"

"You have no idea how much I missed you" Charlie stood up and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend "I thought I was going to lose you! You weren't breathing and...I was so scared Jo!"

"Hey" Joey pulled back and smiled at Charlie as she wiped her tears gently away "I'm fine...honestly."

"How long have you been awake?" Charlie asked quietly as she sat precariously on the edge of the hospital bed.

"Not long. I was going to wake you up but you looked like you needed sleep" Joey shrugged "I didn't want to wake you"

"God I love you" Charlie muttered in amazement.

"Yeah?" Joey grinned raising an eyebrow at the older girl.

"Yeah" Charlie nodded in the affirmative "You jumped in front of a bullet to save my sister's life Joey, you have no idea how much it means to me that you care about her so much...You're just _amazing_. Not that I'm not mad at you for actually jumping in front of a bullet because you scared me to death!"

Joey blushed slightly and looked away "Yeah well..." after a moment she realised something and sat up in alarm "Wait! Where's Ruby?! Did something happen to her?"

"Oh my God!" Charlie gasped "I can't believe I fell asleep...Rachel was meant to tell me how she was..."

"Why?" Joey questioned anxiously "What's wrong with her?"

"She collapsed last night" Charlie replied standing up from the bed "She said that she was hot and then she just collapsed!"

"Then Go" Joey urged "See how she is"

Charlie was about to move toward the doorway when it swung open to reveal Ruby standing there leaning against the doorway.

"Ruby!" Charlie gasped as her sister entered the room. She moved forward quickly and hugged the teen tightly "Thank God you're okay"

"I'm fine" Ruby smiled weakly when Charlie eventually pulled away "But I woke up and got kind of worried...Figured you would be with Joey" her gaze travelled to Joey and she offered her a tentative wave "Hey Joey"

Joey tilted her head in slight confusion at Ruby's somewhat formal and totally un-Ruby like welcome "What?" she smiled "Don't I get Giant Ruby-hugs anymore?"

Ruby shrugged and looked away guiltily "I don't want to hurt you"

"You won't" Joey countered "Really...Now c'mere"

Ruby moved tentatively over to Joey "Are you sure I won't hurt you because..."

"I'm sure" Joey reached out and pulled Ruby forward slightly. The teenager needed no more encouragement as she wrapped her arms tightly around the older girl. She felt tears mist her eyes and stubbornly pushed them back. Joey pulled back slightly and immediately noticed something wasn't completely right "Are you okay Rubz?"

"I'm fine" Ruby smiled weakly as she moved away and shoved her hands into her pockets "Really"

"Why is your arm bleeding?" Charlie questioned suddenly.

Both Ruby and Joey glanced down at her arm and the youngest girl shifted uncomfortably "Uh..."

"You didn't..." Joey said softly, looking up at her.

"Didn't what?" Charlie asked somewhat confused.

"You pulled your IV out?" Joey questioned incredulously.

"You did WHAT?!" Charlie gasped.

"It was annoying" Ruby shrugged "And it was stopping me from moving" she was met with two angry glares and she looked at them with the infamous Buckton puppy dog look "I just wanted to see how Joey was..."

"Fine" Charlie sighed "It's okay. But I don't think Rachel will be quite as forgi..."

"Ruby Buckton!" a voice sounded from the doorway.

"Aww crap!" Ruby ducked behind her sister for protection "Yes, Rachel?"

"You're supposed to be resting!" Rachel stated firmly as she stepped into the room "And you pulled your IV out! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have done..."

"I'm sorry?" Ruby offered lamely "But I really wanted to see if Joey was okay..."

"The puppy dog look isn't going to work with me Ruby" Rachel said quietly though her tone had softened slightly "You have to stay in bed for a while"

"What exactly is wrong with her?" Charlie asked.

Rachel turned to her "She has mild hypothermia from being in the room for so long as well as slight dehydration though it wasn't too bad..."

"Joey was looking out for me" Ruby flashed a warm smile at Joey who blushed and looked away modestly.

"Well that's good" Rachel smiled "It could have been a hell of a lot worse but you..." she pointed at Ruby "need to go back to your bed"

"But..." Ruby began to protest. At Rachel's warning looked she sighed "Fine" she hugged Charlie and Joey quickly before leaving the room.

"What about Joey?" Charlie asked in concern as she moved to sit next to Joey on the bed "Is she okay now?"

"As far as I can tell she's fine" Rachel nodded "We have to keep an eye on you for a couple of days but you should be able to go home after that...Hopefully Ruby will be able to leave at the same time..."

"Thanks Rachel" Joey smiled softly.

"Anytime" Rachel shrugged "If you need me I'll be just outside okay?"

Joey nodded and watched Rachel leave before she turned back to Charlie "Charlie?"

"Yeah?" Charlie smiled softly and took Joey's hand in her own.

"Did Ruby seem weird to you?" Joey asked unsurely.

"I think she's just feeling guilty about what happened..."

"Why?"

"You did risk your life to save hers" Charlie smiled adoringly "It sounds like you saved her life in quite a few ways..."

"Yeah well" Joey smiled "Both of you saved mine, right?"

"How did you know that?" Charlie questioned in surprise.

"You said that I wasn't breathing" Joey answered "So you must have done something while the ambulance was on its way, right?"

Charlie nodded slowly "Yeah" she leaned close and kissed Joey tenderly "I love you so much Joey Collins"

"I love you too" Joey beamed unreservedly.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi Guys so here's the next chapter. Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. They're incredibly appreciated. I was thinking of ending this fic here since everything's basically wrapped up and I don't want this fic to become repetitive but I was wondering if anybody **_**wanted**_** me to continue. I still have a couple of ideas so...yeah. Let me know if you want me to :)**

**Thank you all so much for following this fic...Hope you enjoy this chapter...**

Chapter 19

Joey gazed at Ruby in unadulterated confusion. The teenager was standing on the other side of the room as far away as she could get and was being unusually silent.

"Why are you being so quiet?" Joey asked when she couldn't take the tense silence any longer.

Ruby shrugged refusing to meet her gaze "Why are _you_ being so quiet?"

"I asked you first" the older girl countered.

"There's nothing to talk about" Ruby responded quietly.

"Is there something wrong?" Joey questioned concern palpable in her tone "Because you're being really weird"

"I'm fine...Don't worry about me" Ruby answered. She lowered her voice slightly "That's what got you in here in the first place"

"What?" Joey frowned not catching what the teenager muttered under her breath.

"Hmmmn? Oh...Nothing"

"Are you sure y...?"

"I'm fine!" Ruby cut her off almost harshly "God, Just back off a bit Joey!"

Joey was slightly surprised at the ferocity of Ruby's tone and could do nothing but gape at her silently.

"I'm sorry" Ruby sighed though her tone remained harsh as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration "I just need everyone to leave me alone okay?!"

Joey said nothing and the room returned to tense silence.

"Hey" Charlie said brightly when she entered the room a few minutes later "Are you two ready to go home?"

Ruby and Joey's expressions had brightened considerably at the sight of Charlie but they said nothing.

"What?" Charlie frowned noticing the tension in the room "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Ruby answered shortly "Everything's fine..."

"Have you two been arguing?" Charlie cast an accusing look at them.

"No" The youngest Buckton shook her head "I told you, everything's absolutely fine..." she motioned towards the door "Are we leaving now?"

"Yeah..." Charlie nodded as she moved over to Joey.

"Good"

"Are you okay?" Charlie hovered unsurely behind Joey as she stood up.

"I'm fine" Joey smiled as Charlie took her hand.

"Of course you are" Ruby muttered rolling her eyes "As if you didn't step in front of a bullet"

The two older girls turned their gazes to Ruby in confusion but she refused to look up at them.

"Okaaay" Charlie drawled "I think we should go"

Joey nodded and Ruby walked out of the room ahead of them. Charlie and Joey exchanged confused glances but followed anyway.

---

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked Ruby in confusion when she immediately moved off towards her room.

Ruby turned around to face Charlie and Joey "I uh...I have to do...Something"

"Oh" Charlie frowned disappointedly "I thought we could all hang out for a while..."

"This...Thing I have is really important" the younger girl muttered sadly "Sorry"

"Oh, Okay" Charlie responded quietly "But..." Ruby had already rushed into her bedroom slamming the door shut behind her "That was weird..."

Joey sighed and sat down on the couch "I think she's avoiding me..."

"Avoiding you?" Charlie echoed blankly as she joined Joey on the couch.

"Uh-huh" Joey nodded "She seems to be mad at me...She won't talk to me and when she does she snaps"

"Maybe she still feels guilty?" Charlie offered placing a comforting hand on Joey's arm.

"She has nothing to feel guilty for...What I did was my own choice. She couldn't have stopped me"

"That's what I told her" Charlie nodded "Apparently she didn't listen to me..."Joey sighed forlornly and Charlie shifted closer wrapping an arm around her shoulders "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." Joey muttered sadly "It's just...My relationship with your sister is important to me you know? I want her to accept me and when we were stuck in that room we got really close...Shared experience or whatever. But now she can't even look at me let alone talk to me..."

Charlie frowned, noticing that Joey was on the verge of tears. She pressed a soft kiss to the other girls head and pulled her slightly closer "I'm sure it'll be fine..." she said reassuringly "Why don't you talk to her?"

"I don't know..." Joey said hesitantly "What if it makes things worse?"

"You don't know unless you try" Charlie smiled comfortingly "Anyway I don't think it can get any worse if she's not talking to you..."

"You shouldn't say things like that" Joey pointed out "Whenever people say something like that something always happens..."

Charlie smirked in amusement "You've been watching too many movies Jo"

"Maybe..." Joey grinned. Her expression turned slightly more serious after a moment "What would I do without you"

"Oh suffer endlessly" Charlie smiled warmly. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Joey's lips "Now go...Sort my sister out..."

Joey stood up from the couch but hesitated to move.

"C'mon Joey it's only Ruby!" Charlie smiled "You're not seriously intimidated by my sister, are you?"

"No" Joey muttered "I just don't want her to yell at me..."

"She won't yell at you" the older girl reassured her "Now go..."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Never" Charlie stated sincerely.

Joey smiled before she walked hesitantly out of the room and towards Ruby's bedroom. She knocked tentatively on the door.

"Come in" Ruby called quietly.

Joey pushed open the door and entered the room to see Ruby sitting on her bed gazing at the wall "Rubz?"

Ruby glanced at her but averted her eyes from Joey's "Joey...What do you need?"

"I was wondering if we could talk?" Joey asked hesitantly "Maybe take a walk down the beach or something?"

"I don't know...I'm kind of busy..."

"Busy staring at the wall?"

Ruby sighed and stood up "Fine...We can talk" she walked out of the room leaving Joey to follow. They walked into the living room and past Charlie who smiled reassuringly at Joey.

"_Good luck"_ she mouthed silently.

Joey returned the smile half-heartedly and followed Ruby from the house. They walked side by side in silence for a few minutes before Joey stopped suddenly on the beach.

"Ruby?" she questioned prompting the teen to face her "Are you mad at me?"

"Mad at you? No" Ruby answered. Joey was about to sigh in relief when the younger girl continued "I'm FURIOUS at you!"

"Oh..." Joey said quietly "Why?"

"Why?!" Ruby exclaimed disbelievingly "Seriously...You jumped in front of a bullet Joey!"

"But..."

"You almost got yourself killed!" Ruby continued "And for what?!"

"I didn't want you to get hurt..." Joey answered quietly "I promised that I would protect you..."

"You also promised me that you weren't going to do anything stupid!" Ruby countered angrily "But you did it anyway! So what? You risked your life because you felt that you had a duty to protect me since I'm our girlfriend's sister?!"

"No" Joey shook her head "I risked my life because I care about you..."

"What would have happened if you'd died?!" Ruby stated in a furious tone of voice though her eyes shone bright with tears "Would would Charlie have done? What would _I_ have done?!"

"What would Charlie have done if anything had happened to you?" Joey countered gently. She moved forward but the tearful teen backed off almost immediately "She was a mess when you were taken Rubz..."

"It doesn't matter!" Ruby stated stubbornly "This would have been different. I wasn't dead. You could have been...And it's my fault!"

"No" Joey shook her head firmly "That wasn't your fault...I chose to jump in front of that Bullet Rubz...You didn't force me to. I had to do it"

"No you didn't" Ruby crossed her arms defensively in front of her "You shouldn't have done it. It was a stupid thing to do!"

"Stupid or not I had to do it"

"You shouldn't have done it" Ruby repeated persistently.

"I had to!"

"No you didn't!" Ruby argued "The bullet might not have even hit me!"

"It definitely would have hit you...He was aiming right for you" Joey replied "I couldn't have let that happen"

"Why?!" Ruby yelled tearfully "You could have died Joey!"

"So could you!" Joey replied just as loudly "I couldn't let you!"

"You said that you wouldn't do it again!" Ruby said "That you wouldn't take unnecessary risks...You _promised_ me!"

Joey sighed sadly "I'm sorry Ruby...I couldn't just let you die"

"_You_ could have died!" Ruby insisted "You were shot because of me Joey...It was my fault!" she turned away in an effort to conceal her tears.

"Ruby..." Joey moved closer to the teenager and placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder. She was pleasantly surprised when Ruby turned and threw her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"This isn't your fault" Joey said softly as she pulled away slightly to look at the younger girl "I chose to do what I did because I care about you...Okay? I _had_ to do it. Anyway..." she offered the teen a small smile "I'm fine...

"But it could have been more serious!"

"You're so stubborn" Joey smiled warmly "I wonder where you get that from..."

"My equally stubborn sister?" Ruby offered quietly.

"Exactly" Joey nodded "Can't we just forget about this Rubz? You know...Move on? I hate when you're mad at me"

Ruby paused for a moment as she wiped her tears away before smiling weakly "Okay" she started to walk back along the beach with Joey at her side "I'm still right though...You really shouldn't have done it"

Joey sighed and shoved the younger girl playfully. They walked home in comfortable silence very unlike the tense silence which had surrounded them for the past few days.

"I take it, it went well?" Charlie grinned knowingly when the two younger girls walked into the living room and slumped down on the couch next to her.

"Yep" Joey smiled brightly "We're fine now...Right Rubz?"

"Right" Ruby nodded "Totally fine...Actually we should celebrate!"

"You always think we need to celebrate" Charlie shook her head in amusement.

"Do not!" Ruby stuck her tongue out at her sister "But we really should! You're with me on this aren't you Jo?"

"Sure" Joey shrugged.

"Fine" Charlie smiled "We will...Go get ready. We'll head out soon"

Ruby grinned triumphantly and rushed off to get changed.

"You're such a softy" Joey commented teasingly as she slid closer to Charlie on the couch wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Aaah but that's why you love me" the older girl smiled.

"You got me" Joey grinned. She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Charlie's lips before standing up and offering her a hand "Shouldn't we be getting ready?"

Charlie nodded silently and took Joey's hand.

---

"So are we all okay now?" Charlie questioned from where she sat next to Joey in Noah's. She glanced between her girlfriend and sister "No more unresolved issues? No more anger, grudges...uh..."

"Secrets?" Joey offered. She frowned when Charlie flinched slightly against her and glanced at her in time to see the fear in her eyes.

"I don't think so" Ruby answered "Unless you guys have anything?"

"No" Charlie shook herself from her stupor and relaxed slightly "I don't have anything...Jo?"

Joey was still slightly perplexed at Charlie's previous reaction but shook her head "Nope...I have nothing"

"That's good" Ruby sighed in relief before the table descended into silence.

"Hey" a masculine voice said suddenly. The three girls looked up to see Hugo standing there and groaned internally "Do you mi..."

"Hugo!" Joey cut him off with an overly bright smile "Why don't you join us?"

Charlie glanced at her in confusion and Joey sent her a look that said 'trust me'. Charlie nodded and stood up gesturing towards the bar "I'll go and get the drinks..." she gritted her teeth and forced herself to be nice to Hugo "Do you want anything Hugo?"

"No thanks" Hugo smiled sleazily holding up his beer bottle "Another time maybe?"

Charlie rolled her eyes at him and gestured Ruby to follow her. The teenager did so but stayed close enough to eavesdrop.

"Have a seat Hugo" Joey was still smiling brightly as she patted the spot next to her. Hugo frowned at her friendliness but sat down anyway.

"I think we need to talk" Joey said in a soft voice "Well...more like I need to tell you something"

"What?" Hugo questioned.

"If you ever touch or so much as look at my girl again..." Joey kept her tone surprisingly pleasant "I'm going to find a way to feed you to the sharks okay Hugo? That's not a threat...It's a promise"

"Uh...Okay..." Hugo was too shocked to say anything.

"Do you still want to join us?"

"Uh...On second thoughts..." Hugo mumbled standing up "I have to go...do something..."

"Bye Hugo!" Joey smiled politely as she watched him rush away.

"Go Joey!" Ruby cheered as she sat back down at the table. She leaned over the table and high fived the other girl "You sure told him!"

"I did, didn't I?" Joey grinned smugly. She straightened up slightly as Charlie returned to the table with their drinks.

"What have you two done?" Charlie questioned suspiciously "You both look guilty"

"Nothing" Ruby and Joey answered in unison.

"Where did Hugo go?" Charlie asked as she sat down next to Joey and wrapped her arms around her.

"He realised that he couldn't stay" Joey shrugged innocently "Said that he had something to do..."

"Trying to escape the sharks" Ruby grinned at Joey.

"Sharks?!" Charlie asked in alarm "What sharks?"

Ruby burst out laughing.

Joey shot Ruby a look "There are no sharks...Ruby's just talking rubbish..."

"Hey!" the teenager stated in mild offence.

"I think we should make a toast!" Joey stated a while later.

"To what?" Charlie giggled.

"Uh...."

"To family" Ruby smiled raising her glass "may we stay together and stay away from Crazy people"

"To family" Joey and Charlie echoed. All three girls leaned forward and clinked their glasses together.

---

Joey and Charlie stumbled through the door together, giggling. Ruby entered after them and rolled her eyes in amusement at their slight drunkenness.

"Okaay" she smiled "I'm going to bed now" she moved forward and hugged the unsteady women quickly "You two alcoholics should probably think about going too..." she walked off towards her bedroom leaving Joey and Charlie giggling behind her.

"Hey, Joey?" Charlie moved forward and wrapped her arms loosely around the younger girls' neck.

"Mmhmn?"

"I luuuuurrrvveee you" she slurred before leaning forward and kissing the other girl passionately.

Joey giggled into the kiss as Charlie attempted (And failed) to undo the buttons on her shirt. She leaned forward but instantly regretted it when Charlie stumbled backwards into the wall.

"OW!" Charlie laughed "That's gonna hurt tomorrow!"

"Uh-huh" Joey stepped forward and captured the other girls' lips with her own.

"Jo?" Charlie panted when they eventually pulled away.

"What is it?" Joey slurred.

"Race you to the bedroom" Charlie spun around and rushed to the bedroom leaving Joey gaping after her. She estimated that due to the shock it would take Joey approximately ten minutes to follow. She was sure to win for once. Or so she thought. One minute she was running as quickly as a drunken person could through the doorway and the next minute her feet had left the floor. In an impressive move Joey would later boast as 'carried out with utterly flawless precision' the younger girl ran through the door a split second after Charlie. Joey's arms wrapped around Charlie and in an impressive tackle depositing them both on the bed with a bounce.

"Ha!" Joey exclaimed straddling Charlie's stomach "It's a tie!"

"You're mean" Charlie pouted jokingly.

"I'm sorry" Joey grinned "However can I make it up to you?" she leaned down and kissed the other girl chastely "Helping?"

"Getting there" Charlie giggled.

Joey moved forward and pressed a slightly deeper kiss to the other girl's lips.

"Definitely getting there" Charlie moved her hands up and pulled Joey down kissing her passionately. They pulled away slightly breathless after a moment and Joey rolled over so she was lying on her back next to Charlie.

"Do you think we'll be okay now?" she asked quietly snuggling into Charlie's side.

"I hope so" Charlie smiled faintly as she wrapped her arms tightly around Joey "I really hope so"

TBC?


	20. Chapter 20

**So I decided to continue...Thank you all so much for your reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter...**

Chapter 20

_Darkness._

That was all that seemed to surround Charlie. It was all she could see in all directions and the more she moved the further it seemed that she fell into the dark abyss of her memories. She attempted to scream but found that no sound came from her mouth. She was trapped in silence. She felt a hand cover her mouth while another pinned her easily down and she struggled roughly in a frantic attempt to free herself.

"Charlie..." she could hear her name being uttered but it seemed like it came from miles away. The voice however continued "Charlie?!" Charlie clung to the familiar voice and attempted to fight through the darkness. She gasped and sat bolt upright in bed.

"Charlie?" Joey questioned tentatively. She placed a hand on her girlfriends trembling back and waited for her to respond. The only response she got however was heavy breathing "Charlie, baby please talk to me?"

Charlie made no movement for a moment but she eventually turned her watery gaze to meet Joey's worried eyes.

"Hey" Joey reached up to gently wipe away the tears which had begun to cascade freely from the older girls eyes "What's wrong?" she moved her free hand to rest lightly on Charlie's arm in what was intended to be a comforting gesture. Charlie however flinched instantly at the unexpected touch and shuffled away from Joey.

Joey frowned in concern at the fear present in her love's eyes "Charlie? It's just me Honey...its Joey. I'm not going to do anything". Charlie didn't respond.

Joey swallowed heavily "Charlie...I'm just going to reach over you to turn the light on" she continued to gaze into Charlie's blue eyes as she slowly leaned over the other girl "I'm not going to hurt you...I swear..." she flicked the light on and pulled back immediately unsure as to how Charlie would react. She had never seen her girlfriend in this state before and it was making her incredibly anxious. It was usually Joey having the nightmares not the other way around.

"Jo..." Charlie spoke up for the first time.

Joey felt a pang of relief at the sound of Charlie's voice but hesitated to reach out in case she startled her "What's wrong Charlie?" unable to fight the urge any longer she reached forward and lay her hand tentatively on top of the other girls. Charlie turned her hand over and caught Joey's in a vice like grip.

"Char..." Joey was about to speak when Charlie moved forward quickly and flung her arms around her. Though she was slightly surprised Joey returned the embrace just as tightly. A soft sob caused her to frown in worry "Charlie?" she pulled away slightly and wiped Charlie's tears away with gentle fingertips "Tell me what's wrong...Please? You're really worrying me..."

"Nothing...It was just a nightmare. That's all" Charlie's spoke shakily "Don't worry about it"

"About what?" Joey frowned perplexedly.

"It's not important..."

"It seemed important" Joey countered gently, taking Charlie's trembling hand in both of her own "You wouldn't be this scared if it wasn't important"

"Joey?" Charlie's voice came out tearfully and Joey instantly moved closer.

"Yeah?"

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Charlie questioned vulnerably "Can you maybe just...Hold me? I mean I..."

"Of course" Joey interrupted without hesitation. They both lay down in the bed and Joey pulled Charlie closer into her arms "Anytime"

They fell into silence for a while apart from occasionally sniffles from Charlie before she spoke up "Joey?"

"Yeah?" Joey shifted slightly to look down at her girlfriend in pure concern though she still kept her in a tight embrace.

"You love me right?"

"Of course I love you!" Joey frowned at the question "You know that I love you...What's wrong Charlie? Please tell me..."

"If I did something..." Charlie sniffled "Or if I didn't do something that I was supposed to do like maybe...Tell you something...You wouldn't leave me right? Even if this thing was really big?"

"Charlie I don't think you're thinking clearly Honey" Joey said softly as she stroked Charlie's cheek tenderly "But I can tell you right now that I wouldn't leave you again. Not after last time...I love you too much to leave you"

Charlie bit her lip still not seeming entirely satisfied with Joey's answer "But what If I did something...Something that hurt somebody that _you_ cared about maybe? Even If I..."

"Whoa!" Joey held up a hand to stop Charlie from talking "I have no idea what you're talking about Charlie...Hurt somebody I care about? You and Ruby are all I have now"

"It doesn't matter" Charlie sighed sadly realising that she had already said too much.

"Are you talking about Ruby?" Joey asked in confusion "I don't get it...How would you hurt Ruby?"

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Charlie shifted closer to Joey and wrapped an arm tightly around her waist "It's not important right now..."

Joey sighed but lay back down and held Charlie closer to her "Are you okay?"

"No" Charlie shook her head against Joey's shoulder "Not really...But I will be okay tomorrow"

"Oh"

Silence descended on the room and a while later Joey glanced at Charlie to see she had fallen asleep. She leaned over and turned the light off before placing a soft kiss on Charlie's cheek. She lay awake for a while mulling over her brief conversation with Charlie and felt a pang of fear at the thought of more secrets coming between them. She eventually fell into a light sleep.

---

Charlie leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and smiled happily to herself as the sound of her girlfriend singing and the smell of cooking surrounded her. She moved into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Joey lightly from behind "Hey Babe" she dropped a soft kiss on the younger girls neck.

"Hey" Joey smiled as she turned around to face Charlie "What are you doing up so early?"

"The smell of your amazing cooking must have woken me up" Charlie grinned "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"Obviously not since you just managed to crawl out of bed" Joey smiled warmly. She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Charlie's lips "But what do you love more? Me or my cooking?"

"I plead the fifth" Charlie said teasingly.

"Hey" Joey batted playfully at Charlie's arm.

"Sorry" Charlie laughed "But you know I love you more than _any _kind of food or...anything else"

"I think Ruby's right" Joey smiled "You are sickeningly sweet..." at Charlie's pout she continued "But it's totally adorable"

"Where is Ruby anyway?" Charlie questioned taking a seat at the table.

"Probably still asleep" Joey answered handing Charlie a cup of coffee. She sat down at the table with her own coffee and sipped at it tentatively. She put it down after a moment and gazed intently at Charlie. There was no sign of the emotions that had flooded through the other girl last night.

"What?" Charlie questioned noticing Joey's intent stare.

"Last night..." Joey began quietly "What was that about?"

Charlie looked away uncomfortably "Nothing. It was just a nightmare that's all...It just caused me to lose control for a while. I'm sorry that you had to..."

"No!" Joey stated so firmly that it caught both Charlie and herself off guard "Never apologise for needing me, okay? That's not what I'm worried about..." she reached out and took Charlie's hand in her own "I'm just worried about _you_ Charlie. You were really scared last night...That nightmare must have been really serious to have freaked you out so much..."

"It's not a big deal" Charlie shrugged keeping her gaze fixed firmly on their intertwined hands "It was just stupid okay, Jo? Don't worry about it"

"You said that you did something...That you were going to hurt somebody that _I _care about...What did you mean?"

"I was just talking crazy from the nightmare" Charlie lied "It must have messed with my head. None of that stuff meant anything..."

"You're lying" there was no anger behind the statement, only a deep sadness that caused Charlie to visibly flinch "I thought we were past keeping secrets...I thought that you trusted me enough to tell me anything now..." Joey stood up and moved back to the stove.

"Joey..." Charlie sighed. When Joey didn't respond Charlie moved over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, resting her chin on the other girls shoulder "I'm sorry okay? It's not that I don't trust you...That's not it at all"

"Then what is it?" Joey whispered placing her hand on Charlie's "Why won't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"I want to..." Charlie responded quietly "But there are so many things stopping me Jo"

"Like what?"

"Like how you would react if I told you" Charlie murmured "If you reacted badly I don't know what I would do. And...There are other people involved in this too. We aren't the only ones who stand the chance of being hurt anymore..."

"Ruby?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "This is really complicated Joey...I just can't tell you not right now...Are you mad at me?"

Joey sighed and turned around in Charlie's embrace "I'm not mad at you...I'm kind of upset that you're hurting and I don't know why but...No. I'm not mad at you. At all"

"God, I love you so much" Charlie breathed out.

"You sound surprised" Joey smiled softly.

Charlie shrugged "I've never loved anyone like I love you Joey...Never."

"I love you too" Joey beamed pulling Charlie closer to her "I love you so much" she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips. Charlie instantly pulled her closer causing them to stumble back slightly away from the hot stove. Joey's hands diverted to Charlie's waist to keep her steady and she deepened the kiss.

"Joey" Charlie panted when she pulled away slightly for air.

"Uh-huh?"

"Nothing" Charlie muttered distractedly. She pulled Joey back into a passionate kiss and they stumbled further out of the kitchen into the living room. Charlie's hands ghosted their way down Joey's neck and chest to the buttons of her shirt which she began to unbutton slowly.

"Charlie" Joey managed to mumble between kissed "Do you...Smell...Fire?"

"No" Charlie responded. She pulled back after a moment "Wait...I can smell fire...Where is that..." she was cut off as the smoke alarm began to go off "Shit..."

Joey pulled away from Charlie and raced back to the kitchen. She quickly managed to extinguish the small fire from the frying pan and sighed a breath of relief.

"Sorry" Charlie grinned not seeming sorry at all "I didn't mean to distract you..."

"Yes you did" Joey smiled pulling Charlie closer by her belt loops "You were trying to seduce me"

"Trying?" Charlie echoed cheekily "I still have to try?" she moved forward and began placing small kissed on Joey's pulse pout.

"No" Joey gasped "No trying needed"

"Hmmm" Charlie hummed kissing her way back up to Joey's lips. She reclaimed them with her own in a fiery kiss and moved her hands to Joey's shoulders to push down the unbutton shirt

"Wait!"

"What?!" Charlie questioned in alarm "What's wrong?"

"What if Ruby's already up?" Joey asked nervously "The smoke alarm did just go off..."

"Ruby wouldn't have woken up because of that. Anyway I wasn't planning on staying in here..." she smiled teasingly at Joey "Unless of course you wanna...risk it?"

"No" Joey shook her head instantly "That is why we have a bedroom. No risk taking nece...mmph" she was taken slightly by surprise when Charlie surged forward and kissed her passionately. The older girl slid Joey's shirt from her shoulder and pulled her quickly towards the bedroom. They entered and she kicked the door closed behind them.

---

"Can I have three coffees please Coleen?" Joey smiled politely at Coleen.

"Of course" Colleen nodded. Before she had the chance to say anything else Joey grabbed Charlie and Ruby and pulled them over to a table.

"Why did you wake me up?!" Ruby groaned as she practically sprawled herself across the table "I could be sleeping right now!"

"And we could still be..." Charlie began.

"Whoa!" Ruby sat up straight and held up a hand to stop her sister from talking "I don't need to know that!"

Charlie shrugged innocently and wrapped her arm around Joey's shoulders "Sorry Rubz"

Ruby shrugged "its fine" she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes "So why _am I _awake?"

"You needed breakfast!" Joey chirped happily "And it's like 11:00 am anyway"

"Why are you so happy?" Ruby questioned "Wait...I don't want to know that either..."

"Well ya see" Joey grinned "My happiness is all because of your wonderfully amazing beautiful fire hazard of a sister"

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed "Not my fault"

"You distracted me" Joey smiled "So it is technically your fault"

"Do I want to know?" Ruby smiled.

"No" the older girls answered in unison. The fell into comfortable silence for a moment as Coleen brought their coffees over and surprisingly left without a word.

"I'm glad we can do this" Joey said suddenly squeezing Charlie's hand slightly "That we can just be...Together. Like this"

"Me too" Charlie smiled. She shifted slightly and pressed a soft kiss to Joey's lips "I love you Joey Collins"

"I love you too" Joey smiled adoringly.

"You're both..."

"Sickeningly sweet?" Charlie finished knowingly.

Ruby pouted at her sister "I was going to say uh...Incredibly sweet. I'm not that predictable...Which reminds me...I need something equally as sweet to wake me up..." she grinned at Charlie "You can pay sis"

"Of course I can" Charlie rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. She looked up at Joey and her smile widened slightly as Joey looked back at her happily. For the moment Charlie could forget about her worries and just be with her family.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

Joey stirred in her sleep and groaned irritably, wondering why she had awoken. Her question was answered a matter of seconds later as she heard a soft whimper from her right and sat bolt upright in bed.

"Not again..." she murmured sadly as she observed her obviously terrified girlfriend in the throws of a nightmare. She shifted slightly closer and placed her hand on Charlie's shaking shoulder "Charlie?"

"No..." Charlie whimpered in her sleep, visibly struggling against a force Joey couldn't see "Stop...I don't want to..."

Joey was growing increasingly concerned at Charlie's struggling but was unsure as to what to do "Charlie!" she shook the other girl's shoulder gently but Charlie showed no sign of response.

"Don't take her..." Charlie mumbled. She stopped struggling as if she had given up but didn't relax immediately "Ruby..."

Joey noticed tears had begun to streak down Charlie's cheeks and frowned in worry. She moved tentatively forward and gathered Charlie gently in her arms. She was more than slightly relieved when Charlie relaxed almost at once and snuggled further into her body.

"It's okay..." Joey whispered as she tenderly moved a strand of Hair from Charlie's tear stained cheek "You're safe...I promise" she dropped a soft kiss on the older girl's head and tightened her embrace.

"Joey..." Charlie mumbled sleepily. Joey shifted slightly to see that Charlie was still asleep.

"I'm right here" she whispered unnecessarily "I'm not going anywhere..." she swallowed heavily and pushed back her own tears as she turned her gaze to the ceiling.

"Ruby?" she whispered to herself in confusion "What does Ruby have to do with this?" she turned her gaze to Charlie and sighed sadly "I wish you would tell me what's going on in that head of your Charlie..." She lay awake; worry coursing through her as she pondered on the unsettling thought that yet more secrets could come between them.

---

Charlie walked out of the kitchen and slumped onto the couch tiredly. Joey followed her a moment later.

"Joey!" the older girl groaned as she slumped onto the couch and leaned forward placing her head in her hands "I don't want to talk about it!"

"That's what you've been saying for the past week now!" Joey countered firmly "I need to know what's going on Charlie!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes, I do!"

Charlie sighed irritably "I have a headache"

"What happened to Ruby?" Joey questioned.

Charlie's head snapped up quickly and she stared at Joey, her eyes wide in astonishment "W...What? What do you mean?"

Joey tilted her head in confusion at Charlie's panicked reaction "You were talking in your sleep...You said that you 'didn't want to' and then you said 'don't take her'...What's going on Charlie?" Joey moved forward and sat on the couch next to Charlie. She reached out and placed her hand on Charlie's but found herself shrugged off almost immediately.

Charlie stood up quickly and moved away from a hurt looking Joey "I can't do this...I can't do it..."

"Do what?!" Joey asked, pushing back tears "You can't trust me...AGAIN?!"

"I can't tell you..." Charlie shook her head appearing to be talking more to herself than to Joey "I can't..."

"TELL ME WHAT?!" Joey yelled. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and stood up to face Charlie "Charlie just tell me. Whatever it is I'll..."

"No!" Charlie interrupted "There's nothing you can do...This is so messed up..."

"Messed up?" Joey echoed her concern only rising at the pain visible in Charlie's eyes "What do you mean Charlie?!"

"It's too late!" Charlie stated tearfully "I've been lying for too long..."

"Lying?" Joey moved quickly forward and grasped Charlie's arms gently "Charlie you're really scaring me...What's wrong with you? What are you lying about?"

"I can't" Charlie said breathlessly "You'll hate me...Ruby...Oh my God Ruby is going to really hate me!"

"That's not true...We could never hate you!"

"You will!" Charlie argued adamantly "You will hate me Joey because I've been keeping this from you for so long..."

"Charlie please just calm down" Joey pleaded her worry increasing as Charlie's breathing became more and more shallow "You're going to hyperventilate if you don't calm down...Charlie?!"

Charlie shook her head at Joey and attempted to control her breathing "I can't do it Joey...."

"You can!" Joey tightened her grip on the other girl "You can tell me...You can tell me _anything_! We said no more secrets remember? Because...They only come between us"

"I can't..."

"You have to!"

Charlie shook her head and pulled away forcefully "I'm sorry..." she turned quickly on her heel and rushed out of the room oblivious to her still falling tears.

"CHARLIE!" Joey yelled after her. She slumped down onto the couch behind her and tried to hold back her tears "Damn it..."

---

Charlie sighed softly as she dropped down onto the sandy beach breathing heavily. She pulled her knees to her chest and allowed her tears to flow freely as she gazed out at the ocean before her. She released a heavy sigh "Why is this happenening now?" she flinched slightly when she heard footsteps coming up from behind her. They were too heavy to be Joey's or Ruby's and Charlie had a sneaking suspicion that it was Hugo. She wiped quickly at her eyes before she looked up.

"Aiden..."she said relieved that it wasn't Hugo standing there. She offered him a weak smile "Hi"

"Hey Charlie" Aiden plopped down on the sand next to her "Are you okay?"

"No" Charlie said tearfully "It seems to be a bit of a theme these days"

"What happened?" Aiden questioned in concern "Is it Joey? Is something wrong with her?"

"No" Charlie shook her head quickly "She's fine. Don't worry. We just...We had an argument that's all...Or well _I_ was arguing. She was trying to help"

"You've kind of lost me" the man smiled at her "What were you arguing about?"

"It's all so messed up Aid" Charlie sobbed quietly "Everything's all so screwed up and...It's all my fault!"

"Hey" Aiden moved closer and wrapped his arm around Charlie's shaking shoulders "I'm sure it's not that bad..."

"It is!" Charlie responded "Joey thinks that I don't trust her! And I just...ran off again"

"Why?"

"Because...I'm keeping something from her" Charlie answered. She attempted to wipe her tears away but found that they just kept coming "And I can't tell her _what_ I'm keeping from her"

"Uh...Why can't you?" Aiden repeated in confusion.

"Because she's going to hate me! If she knows I've been keeping something this big from her..."

Aiden raised an eyebrow at Charlie "Are we talking about the same Joey?" when Charlie merely looked away from him he continued "Joey could never _hate_ you Charlie. She loves you! No matter what..."

"Why can't I just be honest?!" Charlie questioned tearfully "Why is this all so _hard?!"_

"You can"

"I can't!" Charlie protested "What if...What if she leaves me? I can't lose her..."

"You can" Aided corrected "You just have to trust her Charlie...You know in your heart that Joey wouldn't just leave you" They fell into mutually comfortable silence for a moment before Charlie turned back to Aiden and smiled weakly up at him "Thanks Aiden"

"Anytime" Aiden gave the girl a quick reassuring squeeze before standing up "Just trust her Charlie...You'll most likely find yourself surprised" he smiled at her before turning and walking away.

"Okay" Charlie nodded to herself "I can do this...I think"

---

"JOEY!"

Joey stood up quickly in alarm when Charlie rushed into the living room "What..." she trailed off as Charlie grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly into their bedroom shutting the door behind them.

"Okay" Charlie said in a rushed voice "I have to do this now or I'll chicken out so...I'm just going to come out and say it..."

"Whoa!" Joey moved forward and took Charlie's hand "Slow down for a minute Charlie...Are you saying that you're going o actually tell me this big secret?" she moved Charlie back and pulled her down onto the bed.

"Yes" Charlie nodded turning slightly to face Joey "I wasn't going to tell you before because I thought that you would leave me but I ran into Aiden at the beach..."

"You thought I would leave you?!" Joey exclaimed in surprise "Why...why would I leave you?"

"It's complicated...You might think that this is getting too hard or something and..."

"I won't leave you" Joey stated firmly "No matter what" she squeezed Charlie's hand comfortingly "I promise...I'm here to stay" Silence filled the room for a moment before Charlie took a deep breath.

"Okay..." she nodded "I can do this..."

"You can tell me an..."

"I was raped when I was fourteen" Charlie blurted out. She bit her lip nervously and watched Joey's reaction. For the most part the younger girl just appeared stunned. Her expression quickly crumbled into sadness however.

"Charlie..."

"It was a long time ago" Charlie said nervously feeling tears flood her eyes "And I was...I was..."

Joey pulled Charlie quickly into her arms and held onto her tightly "Shh...Its okay" she ran a soothing hand over Charlie's hair as Charlie held onto her even tighter "So...This is what your nightmares were about?"

"Yeah...Sort of" Charlie nodded into Joey's shoulder "At first I was just...I was just remembering that night..." she sniffled slightly and pulled away from Joey though she still held tightly to her hand.

"You thought I'd leave you because of this?" Joey frowned suddenly, feeling tears forming in her eyes "Me, of all people? You could have told me Charlie...I could have helped...I understand this...you know?"

"I know" Charlie nodded. She swallowed heavily feeling apprehension weaving knots in her stomach "But...That isn't all I was keeping from you. I didn't think you would leave me because of that..."

"Then why?" Joey once again took Charlie's hand in her own.

"I fell pregnant" Charlie said quietly.

Joey's eyes widened in shock "Oh..." she averted her gaze to Charlie's abdomen "The scar..."

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "That was from the caesarean..."

"What...Uh...What happened to the..." Joey spluttered.

"I had to give her up" Charlie answered "But that's..."

"Wait!" Joey interrupted, looking up at Charlie again "Why would I leave you because of that? And...What does any of this have to do with Ruby? I mean I know this will affect her and if she doesn't know..."

"Joey...Think about it"

Joey returned her gaze blankly and Charlie inhaled deeply trying to push past her nerves.

"Ruby isn't my sister"

It took Joey a moment to register what Charlie had said "She's not? Than what..."

"Ruby isn't my sister" Charlie continued hesitantly "She's my daughter..." she squeezed Joey's hand tighter and awaited a reaction....

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks a million for all of the reviews guys. Your feedback really means a lot :) **

**Oh and thanks especially to pmcc, jsco81 and AuthorW for telling me about the chapter error. This site is getting kind of annoying. The errors are happening way too often but anyway...Thanks for telling me. **

**Jess: Hey, sorry I should probably have put a spoiler alert on that Chapter. I should have remembered that the UK is behind (since I'm from the UK myself lol) but yeah the whole Charlie is Ruby's Mum thing is a spoiler. Sorry if you didn't wanna know (Though you said in your review you already suspected it?). **

Chapter 22

"Joey?" Charlie swallowed anxiously and squeezed the other girls hand lightly, feeling fresh tears welling up in her eyes. Joey hadn't made any move or said anything since Charlie had confessed "Jo, Please say something...Anything?"

"Yeah...Uh...Just give me a minute" Joey murmured quietly.

"Right" Charlie sniffled quietly "Of course you need a minute...What was I thinking? I'm such an..."

"R...Ruby's not your sister?" Joey stammered in shock.

"No" Charlie responded honestly.

"You two aren't sisters?" Joey repeated.

"No..."

"You're her...I mean she's your..." Joey trailed off and frowned in confusion.

"My daughter" Charlie filled in quietly. She released a small whimper when Joey pulled her hand away.

"I don't understand..."

"I was raped when I was fourteen" Charlie explained shakily for the second time "I...I fell pregnant and Mum and Dad didn't want anybody to know about it...They told me that it would be best for me to give her up after she was born...To them. I wasn't old enough to look after a baby and...They told me it was for the best. After Ruby was born they...They took her and told her that I was her sister. That was just how it was" Charlie raised a shaking hand to her cheek and wiped her rapidly flowing tears away.

"Ruby doesn't know?" Joey questioned softly "She...She thinks she's your sister?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded tearfully "Joey..."

Joey turned her gaze to focus on Charlie "Yeah?"

"I...I don't know" Charlie said softly as her tears began to come thicker and faster "Are...Are you mad at me? Are you going to leave?"

The vulnerability and insecurity in Charlie's voice brought tears to Joey's eyes and she quickly pulled her into her arms "No. I'm not going to leave you. I promise"

"It's all such a mess Joey!" Charlie sobbed into Joey's shoulder "I've been lying for so long and I just...I don't know what to do!"

"It's okay" Joey tightened her embrace as Charlie's sobs increased "I'm not going anywhere..." she rocked them soothingly back and forth in hopes that it would calm Charlie down slightly as she attempted to wrap her mind around Charlie's secret.

"I don't know what to do" Charlie said again as she pulled away from Joey slightly "I don't know what to do and...I keep having these stupid nightmares about that night when I was..." she trailed off and Joey nodded understandingly prompting her to continue "I haven't had them for _years_ Joey. I don't know why they would start again now..."

Joey nodded slowly "I understand" she raised her hand and tenderly wiped still falling tears from Charlie's cheeks.

"You're not mad at me?" Charlie asked quietly "You're not in the least bit angry that I didn't tell you this sooner?"

"I'm not mad at you" Joey said sadly "I'm a bit upset that you didn't trust me enough to tell you sooner but...No. I'm not mad. At all"

"Really?" Charlie whispered.

"Really" Joey confirmed quietly "But you know that I'm going to tell you that you should tell Ruby, don't you?"

"I can't!" Charlie stated firmly her eyes widening with fear "She'll hate me Joey! I've been lying to her, her whole life...What if _she_ leaves me?!"

"Ruby could never hate you" Joey argued gently "She loves you, you know that!"

"But I've been keeping this from her for so l..."

"I know" Joey said quietly "But you have to tell her sometime, right?" she pulled Charlie closer and dropped a kiss onto her head.

"What am I supposed to say?" Charlie mumbled "Hey Ruby I know you think that you're my sister and have though that your whole life but you're actually my daughter!"

A second later the door flung open and Ruby bound into the room. Charlie sat up quickly and gazed at her with a 'deer in the headlights' look.

"Hey guys!" Ruby smiled happily. Her smile faded however when she noticed Joey and Charlie's position "Oh...Sorry I didn't knock...I didn't know that you were busy..." she looked closely at Charlie in concern "Are you okay Charlz?"

"I'm fine" Charlie answered weakly.

"You're not fine" Ruby frowned as she moved closer to the bed "You've been crying..."

Charlie shrugged silently "I'll be okay"

Ruby sent a curious look at Joey who was looking between her and Charlie.

"Why were you crying?" she repeated. She knelt down in front of her sister in order to meet her downturned eyes.

"Don't worry about it" Charlie smiled weakly "I'll be fine soon. Honestly Ruby"

"Have you two been arguing?" the youngest Buckton shot Joey an accusing look "Did you say something to her?"

Charlie unwillingly released a small sob at Ruby's protectiveness.

"Charlie..." Ruby stood up from the ground and sat tentatively on the bed next to Charlie, taking her hand comfortingly.

"I'm okay Rubz" Charlie murmured "I'm just...I'm being overdramatic. That's all" she pulled her hand from Ruby's and shrugged "Really"

"Are you sure?" Ruby still looked worried "You can tell me y'know...If it's something bad..." she bit her bottom lip nervously "You two aren't breaking up again are you?"

"No" Joey answered instantly, giving Charlie's hand a reassuring squeeze "We're definitely not breaking up"

Ruby glanced at Joey "So what's wrong with her?"

"I'm still here you know" Charlie smiled weakly.

"But you're not answering my question" Ruby kept her gaze trained expectantly on Joey who appeared at a loss for what to say.

"Uh..."

"I'm fine" Charlie wiped quickly at her eyes "See? I just got a little bit overemotional. No big deal"

"Overemotional?" The youngest girl asked incredulously "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure" Charlie nodded "I'm fine now...Really"

"Uh-huh" Ruby nodded disbelievingly "I don't know if I believe you or not but I'll let it go for now"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie said gratefully "You don't have to worry about it"

"So who feels like going out?!" Ruby jumped up from the bed and stood in front of Joey and Charlie.

"I don't know" Charlie sighed sadly "I don't really feel like going out tonight"

"See!" Ruby exclaimed "I knew there was something wrong!"

"Nothing's wrong" Charlie countered quietly "I'm just really not in the mood to go out tonight...It's been one of those days..."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me something?"

"I'm not...I mean I am"

"Riiiight" Ruby nodded disbelievingly "Plllleaase Charlie? Maybe it will make you feel better..."

"I don't think it will" Charlie disagreed "I think I just need to go to sleep..."

"Oh...Okay" Ruby's expression turned wounded and she began to walk away shoulders slumped dramatically "That's okay..."

"Ruby!" Charlie stopped the girl from leaving the room "We can go, Okay?"

"YES!" Ruby grinned triumphantly. She rushed over to Charlie and hugged her tightly "Thank you Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!"

"I think I got it Rubz" Charlie smiled when Ruby pulled away "Now go and get ready..."

Ruby didn't need telling twice and rushed from the room.

"She has you wrapped around her little finger" Joey observed quietly.

Charlie shrugged and leaned into Joey's embrace releasing a sad sigh "I figure that if I have to tell her I might as well make the most of her not hating me..."

"She won't hate you" Joey leaned her head against Charlie's.

"Oh Shit"

"What?!" Joey questioned in alarm at Charlie's sudden expletive "What's wrong?"

"I probably shouldn't have told you any of this..."

"Huh?" Joey said in confusion "Why not?"

"If Ruby's pissed at me when she finds out she's going to need you" Charlie explained "But if she knows that you already knew she might be mad at you too..."

"It'll be okay" Joey soothed gently "It'll work out...somehow..."

---

Ruby gazed curiously at Joey and Charlie who were huddled closely together on the couch at Noah's their hands tightly entwined.

"Are you two okay?" she asked in concern "You're being really...Weird"

"We're fine" Joey reassured her quickly.

"I'm just feeling kind of off today" Charlie contributed "I don't know...I'll be fine soon though"

"Oh...Okay"

"So what's with the shirt?" Joey smiled attempting to change the subject. Charlie glanced at her in surprise before she turned her gaze to Ruby's shirt.

"This?" Ruby grinned pointing towards the CJ emblazoned on her otherwise plain white shirt. She continued at Joey's nod "I decided that since I wasn't all that supporting before, I should make up for it. Hence my CJ shirt"

"Cute" Charlie commented quietly, squeezing Joey's hand subconsciously "Where did you get it?"

"Internet" Ruby answered grinning cheekily "You may not have heard of it...It's this new invention..."

"Shut up" Charlie laughed "I'm not that old!"

"Are too" Ruby stuck her tongue out at the older girl who rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Whatever"

"You're comebacks always are the best" Ruby teased "So are you two alcoholics not drinking tonight? That's surprising"

"We're not alcoholics" Joey smiled.

"And you're usually all over each other too" Ruby observed closely "You're both being _really _weird tonight...Are you sure you haven't been arguing?"

"Does it look like it?" Charlie questioned referring to their close embrace.

"No" Ruby conceded defeat "I still think you're being weird"

Charlie glanced up at her girlfriend who offered her a reassuring smile and pressed a tentative kiss to her forehead.

---

"So I'm going to bed" Ruby motioned towards her bedroom "I'll leave you guys to be weird by yourselves..."

"We're not being weird" Charlie countered softly though she was visibly fidgeting.

"Riiight" Ruby drawled disbelievingly. She moved forward and hugged her sister lightly. She was about to pull away when Charlie tightened the embrace slightly.

"Ruby?"

"Uh-huh?" Ruby questioned slightly confused.

"I love you" the youngest Buckton instantly recognised tears in Charlie's voice and pulled back slightly to look at her.

"I love you too" she glanced at Joey who shook her head. Ruby squeezed Charlie's hand before pulling away fully "Night Charlie" she hugged Joey quickly before stepping back "Night Jo"

"G'Night" the older two girls echoes in unison. Ruby walked away from them but when she reached the doorway she turned around and settled her gaze on Charlie "Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"If you want to talk to me about...Whatever's wrong I'm just in my room, okay?"

"I know" Charlie pushed back her tears and smiled weakly at Ruby "Thanks Rubz"

Ruby nodded before she walked out of the room. As soon as Ruby left the room Joey pulled Charlie close and allowed the other girl to cry almost silently into her shoulder.

Charlie pulled away after a moment and grabbed Joey's hand pulling her into the bedroom. They got changed and into bed in silence. Joey shuffled close to Charlie and held her gently.

"Jo?"

"Charlie?" Joey responded.

"Are you sure you don't want to leave?" Charlie questioned anxiously "I mean I know that this is a hell of a lot more than you bargained for...I mean I have a _daughter_. Are you sure that this isn't too hard because I would completely understand if yo..."

Joey silenced her with a short kiss "I can't leave you Charlie. Not again. No matter how hard it gets I'll be right by your side ever step of the way, okay?"

"Okay" Charlie said softly. She snuggled closer into Joey's embrace "I think I'm going to tell her tomorrow...Get it over with"

"I'll be right there with you" Joey reassured her softly "It'll be okay"

"I hope so..." all fell silent for a moment before Charlie spoke up again "Joey?"

"Yeah, Babe?"

"I love you" Charlie said sincerely. She leaned up slightly and pressed a loving kiss to Joey's lips "I love you so much"

"I love you too" Joey smiled, returning the kiss just as softly. She tightened her embrace and thy both eventually fell asleep dreading the next morning, though they were content just to be together for now...

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

**Again a huge thank you for your awesome reviews. They really help with the fic (Especially since I don't really watch H&A anymore so I don't really know what's going on). Anyway Hope you all enjoy this chapter...**

Chapter 23 

Charlie blinked sleepily against the light which filled her vision. After a moment she groaned and pulled the covers over her head, squeezing her eyes shut in a stubborn attempt to shut out the world. She reached out blindly for Joey and sighed heavily when her palm came into contact with cool sheets.

"Jo?" she pushed the sheets back and moved into a sitting position, scanning the room for any sight of her girlfriend. She sighed heavily when she noticed the room was empty.

"Damn it..." she moved out of the bed and pulled on her robe. She ran a hand through her hair and grabbed some clothes before dragging herself towards the bathroom. A while later she walked back out feeling slightly more refreshed by her shower but found that nothing could help the sense of dread she felt. She walked slowly into the kitchen and her expression brightened slightly when she noticed Joey standing there.

"Jo!"

"Charlie" Joey smiled "Finally decided to get out of bed than?"

Charlie shrugged as she made her way over to the other girl "It wasn't really much of a decision. I didn't _want_ to get up but since _somebody_ decided to leave me alone this morning..."

"Sorry" the younger girl said apologetically "I didn't want to wake you...Figured that you would need it for...You know"

"Where is Ruby?" Charlie murmured quietly "Is she up yet?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "I checked a while ago...She must have gone out..."

"Good. That's...Good"

"It'll be okay" Joey pulled Charlie close to her "She'll be fine..."

"How do you know that?" Charlie questioned nervously "What if she totally freaks out? What if she moves out and _leave_s me?"

"She won't do that" Joey answered certainly "She loves you way too much to do that to you Charlie. You saw how she was last night...She's just worried about you!"

"I hope so" Charlie mumbled. She leaned forward and kissed Joey shortly "I missed you this morning by the way...I hate waking up without you..."

"I missed you too" Joey smiled softly. She squeezed Charlie's hand one last time before pulling away and reaching behind her for the coffee she had just made "Coffee? I heard you in the shower and thought you could use some..."

"You're a godsend" Charlie sighed dreamily as she took the cup from Joey's hand and sipped at it tentatively.

Joey shrugged "That's what they tell me..."

"Seriously" Charlie placed the coffee on the counter and pulled Joey closer to her wrapping her arms around her neck lightly "I don't know what I would do without you Jo. I definitely wouldn't be even considering telling Ruby about this..."

"Yeah well you know I would do anything for you..." Joey smiled modestly "Anything. Anywhere. Anytime"

Charlie didn't offer a verbal response instead she moved forward and captured Joey's lips with her own in a passionate kiss. Joey reached up automatically and tangled her hands in Charlie's long dark hair as the older girl gently pushed her backwards into the bench behind them. She gasped for breath when Charlie finally pulled away to breath. A giggle escaped her as Charlie lifted her by her waist and deposited her on the bench behind her.

"Wow" she grinned "You're surprisingly strong"

"I'm tougher than I look" Charlie returned the smile "You should know th..."

"Charlie?"

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me" Joey tugged Charlie forward so that she was standing between her legs and kissed her fervently.

"At it again I see" Ruby smiled as she entered the house and walked over to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water. Unlike when she had first found out about Joey and her sister walking in on them like this was becoming completely normal to her.

"Shoot...Ruby" Joey mumbled as she pulled away. She pushed Charlie gently backwards and slid off the bench, feeling blood rush to her face "We...We weren't doing anything. Honestly...Really wasn't how it looked"

"Chill out Joey" Ruby laughed noticing both girls matching blushes "You sound like a teenager whose Mum just walked in on them..." she failed to notice Charlie's flinch at that as her gaze was focused solely on Joey whose blush was only brightening.

"But I mean...We weren't going to _Y'know_ there. Because we...we have a bedroom!"

"Okay" Ruby smiled in amusement "If you say so Joey" she glanced at Charlie who was yet to say anything and her eyes clouded in concern "Are you okay, Charlie?"

"I'm fine" Charlie said weakly "It's just been a long week. I'll be fine soon"

"Okay" Ruby sighed knowing that she wasn't going to get anything else out of her sister than that "But...You know where I am if you need me, okay? I'm just in my room..."

"I know" Charlie offered her sister a small smile "Thanks Rubz"

Ruby nodded at her and motioned behind her "I'll just be...In my room" she smiled and waved their hands at them "Don't let me stop you with that..." she moved quickly out of the room and Charlie released a relived sigh.

"When are you planning on telling her?" Joey asked quietly, her eyes still on the door. She wrapped her arms around Charlie from behind and pulled her close in an attempt to offer comfort.

"I'll tell her tonight..."

"Charlie..."

"I'm not putting it off" Charlie interrupted her "I just don't think I'm ready yet...I'll tell her later"

"Okay" Joey sighed.

---

"I can't do this!" Charlie fretted in panic "I can't Joey! I can't do it!"

"Charlie..." Joey stood up from the couch and clasped Charlie's hands in her own "You have to...You have to do this..."

"No" Charlie shook her head adamantly as tears formed in her eyes "I don't have to...She's going to hate me. I know she will!"

"How many times have I said this?" Joey questioned as she lightly brushed Charlie's tears away "Ruby could never hate you! She loves you!"

"Not after this" Charlie mumbled "Not after I tell her the truth!"

"She won't just stop loving you!" Joey countered gently "She couldn't and...This is Ruby we're talking about!"

"No!" Charlie stated breathlessly "I can see how this is going to go...I'm going to tell her the truth and she's going to hate me for lying and Move out...I'm going to lose her again! I know I am, it's just..."

"Charlie you need to calm down" Joey instructed gently as Charlie pulled away from her "You're going to hyperventilate, you're going to make yourself sick and you're going to terrify Ruby..."

Charlie shook her head slowly and leaned against the wall "I can't do this..." she sat down on the floor when she realised that she was shaking too much to stand "I can't lose Ruby...I can't do it!"

Joey quickly moved to kneel next to her and pulled her into her embrace "You're not going to lose her...It's going to be fine"

"You don't know that!" Charlie muttered tearfully when she pulled away "She's not going to understand Joey!"

"You have to tell her" Joey whispered "You know you ha..."

"Hey" a voice behind them interrupted their conversation. Both girls looked up to see Ruby standing there. When the teenager noticed Charlie's state she rushed over to them and knelt next to Charlie, concern clear on her features.

"What's wrong Charlie?" she asked in alarm "And don't tell me it's nothing because you're crying and you look like you're going to faint!"

Charlie stayed silent, unable to speak.

"Are you sick?!" Ruby guessed in worry "You two _have_ been arguing haven't you? I can tell that there's something wrong...Has somebody said something to you? Was it Hugo? Because I'll go and sort them out for you...Seriously" she looked back and forth between them "Will SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

Charlie stood up slowly using the wall to support her "I'll tell you..." she wiped tears quickly away from her eyes and motioned towards the couch "Maybe you should sit down Rubz..."

"Okay..." Ruby reluctantly released her sister's arm and sat down on the couch.

"I'll give you two some time alone" Joey said quietly. She attempted to pull her hand from Charlie's but Charlie held on tight.

"I need you here" Charlie said quietly "Do you mind..."

"Not at all" Joey answered sincerely.

Charlie released Joey's hand and turned her attention to Ruby "Rubz..."

"What's wrong Charlie?" Ruby questioned fear clear in her eyes "Are you sick? You're not sending me away or anything are you because..."

"Ruby!" Charlie interrupted quietly "I'm not sick and I'll never willingly send you away...you know that" she swallowed hard against the lump developing rapidly in her throat "What I'm about to tell you is big...Huge actually. And after I tell you, you might hate me..."

"I could never hate you" Ruby said instantly.

Charlie took a deep breath and looked into Joey's dark eyes for the courage to continue. She was met with a look of complete support and she turned back to Ruby "I'm not your sister"

"Ouch" Ruby winced, seeming genuinely hurt "That's kind of harsh...I mean whatever I did I'm sure it wasn't that bad..."

"I'm not doing this right" Charlie muttered to herself. She stepped closer to Ruby "Ruby, listen. This isn't easy for me you know and before I start to tell you this you have to know that I love you more than life itself..."

"I know that" Ruby responding, anxiety clear in her eyes "I love you too..."

"When I was fourteen" Charlie started quietly "Something happened and...I fell pregnant..."

Ruby gaped at her sister but nodded for her to continue "okay..."

"I'm not your sister" Charlie repeated softly.

"You have got to be kidding..." Ruby jumped up from the couch and her hand shot to her mouth "You're not telling me this Charlie...You're...You're not my Mother!"

"Mum and Dad didn't want anyone to know about it..." Charlie continued shakily "They told me to give her...you up after you were born. They...They said that it was for the best and that..."

"No..." Ruby mumbled, shaking her head "This is not happening. You're my sister!"

"I couldn't cope with a baby at that age. They took you and told you that I was your sister. It was supposed to be easier but..."

"SHUT UP!" Ruby yelled tearfully, finally succeeding in silencing Charlie "You're telling me that my whole life was a lie? That...That the people who I called Mum and Dad are really my GRANDPARENTS?!"

"Ruby..."f

"No...This is not happening!"

"Do you remember at the hospital?" Charlie questioned softly "The scar?"

"They said it was a Caesar scar..." Ruby mumbled "But you said it was something else"

"I lied"

"Yeah you seem to do that a lot!" Ruby stated angrily "You've been lying to me for my entire LIFE Charlie!"

"I didn't want to..."

"Don't give me that SHIT!" Ruby shouted as tears spilled down her cheeks "If you didn't want to than you didn't _have to!"_

"Rubz, Please..." Charlie said quietly sniffling back her tears "I didn't want to lie to you...I had to..."

"No you didn't!" Ruby growled angrily "You could have told me before...But you decided to just keep on lying to me didn't you _Mum?!"_

"Ruby, I'm sorry..." Charlie stepped closer to Ruby "It wasn't my..."

"Stay away from me!" Ruby whimpered softly as she backed away "I don't even _know you_ anymore! Have you ever been truthful with me?!"

"I have!"

"No" Ruby mumbled shaking her head adamantly "You haven't...I have to...I have to get out of here." She turned around quickly and rushed out of the doorway. Charlie immeditaly dropped onto the couch, sobs racking her body.

"Charlie..." Joey stepped closer and placed a hand on her back.

"Go after her" Charlie said tightly. She looked up at Joey with heartbroken blue eyes "Please Joey...Go after her!"

Joey hesitated slightly before she dropped a kiss on Charlie's head and raced off after Ruby.

---

Joey slowed her sprint down when she noticed Ruby slump down onto the sand, her shoulders visibly shaking with sobs. She sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. Ruby instantly turned fully into the embrace and sobbed softly into Joey's shoulder. Joey could do nothing but hold the teenager tightly to her and stroke her hair comfortingly until she calmed down.

"Did you know?" Ruby said softly when she pulled away "that she was my _mother?"_

"She told me a couple of days ago" Joey admitted quietly "She was having nightmares and I kind of forced it out of her"

"Nightmares?" Ruby questioned "Nightmares about what? Giving me up?"

"No..." Joey responded hesitantly.

"Then what? More secrets?!" Ruby laughed bitterly "And I thought our family was screwed up before..."

"Charlie was raped" Joey said softly. She wasn't sure that Charlie would want her t tell Ruby this but the teenager had to have all of the information.

"What?!" Ruby turned her gaze to Joey sharply "She was...Charlie was raped?!"

"When she was fourteen" Joey nodded sadly "That's what she was having the nightmares about..."

"Oh My God..." Ruby turned her once again teary eyes back to the ocean "She...She must really hate me than..."

"No!" Joey said instantly "Charlie doesn't hate you at all...She loves you Ruby! Right now...She thinks that you hate her"

"I don't hate her" Ruby said quietly "I could never hate her...No matter what she does..."

"Can't you just talk to her Rubz?" Joey pleaded "She never meant for this to happen and she's really tearing herself up about it...She thinks that you're going to leave her..."

"I can't talk to her right now" Ruby replied "I need time to process all of this...But I will come home with you..." she stood up slowly "I just...I need time, okay Jo? I can't be around her right now..."

"Okay" Joey nodded. She stood up and wrapped her arm around Ruby who leaned into her as they walked.

"Joey?"

"Mmhmn?"

"Make sure she knows that I don't hate her okay?" she said softly.

"Okay" Joey nodded.

---

When they got home the living room was empty and for that Ruby was grateful.

"I'm going to head to bed..." she said quietly "'Night Jo"

"Goodnight" Joey murmured. She watched as Ruby rushed into her bedroom before she walked into the bedroom she shared with Charlie.

"Charlie?" she asked softly when she noticed the other girl curled up on top of the covers. She pulled her shoes, Socks and Jacket off before climbing into the bed and wrapping and arm around Charlie.

"Was Ruby Okay?" Charlie said softly.

"Yeah" Joey nodded "She's in her room...I'm sorry Charlie"

"Does she hate me?" Charlie whimpered quietly, turning around in Joey's embrace.

"No" Joey said firmly "She just needs time Charlie..."

"She said that she doesn't want to talk to me didn't she?"

"Yeah...But she doesn't hate you at all"

"I lied to her!" Charlie sobbed into Joey's shoulder "She isn't going to just forgive me for that Joey...I'm losing her!"

Joey held onto Charlie tightly, pushing back her own tears.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"She'll come around..." Joey wrapped an arm comfortingly around Charlie's tense shoulders and pulled her close on the couch.

"I don't think she will..." Charlie responded softly "She's really pissed at me"

"She's not..." At Charlie's disbelieving look Joey paused "Okay maybe she is a little bit mad...But she's more upset than angry. I promise"

"She won't even talk to me" Charlie pointed out sadly.

"She just needs some time..."

"It's been almost a week" the older girl murmured "And she still hasn't talked to me Joey"

Joey remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

"I knew it was a bad idea to tell her..." Charlie continued slowly "I should have just kept this to myself"

"And kept lying to her?"

Charlie sighed disdainfully "It would have been better than...This"

"Would it?" Joey questioned "You were a mess before when you were lying to her..."

"I've managed it well since she was born" Charlie leaned into Joey's embrace and entwined their hands in front of them "I guess I'm quite good at the lying thing..."

Joey pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's temple and tightened the hold she had on her unsure as to how the other girl would react to her question "Charlie?"

"Mmmnh?"

"Can you...Tell me what happened?" Joey bit her lip nervously when Charlie tensed in her embrace "I mean...You don't have to. It's just that it might make you feel better. I know it did when I told you about Robbo but...If you don't want to tell me I completely understand..."

"Joey" Charlie said quietly, interrupting Joey's rambling "I'll tell you...Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"I'm sure" Joey squeezed Charlie's hand supportively.

"Okay..." Charlie took a deep breath and focused on their joined hands in front of them "There was this guy...I think he worked for my Dad or something because he was always at our house. My Dad was out somewhere one night and _he_ was there. I don't know why. It's all...Fuzzy. So anyway he came into my room and pinned me down onto the bed and...He raped me. He said that if I told anyone about it he would kill me..."

"Did you tell anyone?" Joey questioned, blinking back tears at her girlfriend's pain.

"No" Charlie shook her head slowly "Not at first but I started getting morning sickness and I had to tell them...Or they would have noticed that something was going on" she finally looked up into Joey's dark brown eyes "I guess that's why I was so determined to help you press charges against Robbo..." Joey nodded understandingly and Charlie continued in a low voice, her gaze returning to their hands "When they found out...My Dad was really angry at me. He said I was too young to be sleeping around...But I told him the truth and he believed me...He told me that I wasn't old enough to be able to cope with a baby and that I should give her up to them. I didn't know what else to do Joey; I had to do what they asked...You believe me right?"

"Of course I believe you..."

Charlie glanced up at Joey "Really?"

"Really" Joey confirmed firmly.

"Do you think Ruby will ever talk to me?" Charlie questioned hesitantly "Is she ever going to stop being mad at me?"

"You know Ruby" Joey smiled reassuringly "She can never stay mad at you for too long"

"Yeah, but that was before..." Charlie cut herself off and gazed at Joey guiltily "I'm sorry about all of this Jo...I know that you probably didn't expect all of this drama and you really shouldn't have to deal with it all"

"Don't apologise Charlie. There's nowhere else I would rather be than here with you even with all of this stuff..._especially _with all of this"

"Thanks Jo" Charlie shifted slightly and placed a quick kiss on Joey's lips before pulling away by a fraction of an inch "I love you"

"I love you too" Joey smiled pulling Charlie back to her into a deeper kiss.

---

"Ruby, would you please just talk to me?" Charlie pleaded trailing after the teen"Ruby?!" she sighed heavily when Ruby didn't respond "I just want to explain..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Charlie jumped slightly at the younger girls' loud exclamation having not even expected her fto reply. Her hand twitched at her side as she suddenly craved for Joey's comforting touch.

"Ruby, I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologising!" Ruby said firmly "It doesn't mean a thing Charlie and I don't want to hear your explanations, okay?!"

"So what?" Charlie pushed back tears which were beginning to cloud her vision "You're just never going to talk to me again?!"

"That seems like a good idea right now..." Ruby nodded "I don't know...All I know is that right now I can't even be around you let alone talk to you..."

"But..."

"No!" the teenager exclaimed loudly "You _lied_ to me! You've been lying to me my whole life! You can't just expect the truth and an explanation to make it all better!"

"Rubz..."

"I'm going to my room, okay?" Ruby muttered moving past Charlie "I think Joey will be home soon anyway..."

Charlie allowed her tears to fall freely as Ruby walked out of the room. She wiped them away roughly when she heard the younger girls' door slam shut "Damn I need a drink..." she glanced quickly at the clock to see that it read '10:12 pm'. She was halfway out of the door when she paused suddenly "Joey..." she quickly moved back into the house and scribbled a note to her girlfriend which read: "_Joey, Gone out, be home soon, don't worry. Love, Charlie xxxx" _before she rushed out of the house and towards the surf club.

"Hey Alf" she panted slightly when she finally leaned on the bar.

"Charlie" Alf greeted her with a nod "In a hurry?"

"No" Charlie managed a weak smile "Just needed a drink. It's been a long day..."

"What can I get you?" Alf questioned.

"Uh...A double Whiskey and a JD?" Charlie responded.

"Okay..." Alf seemed confused but got the drinks anyway, placing them in front of her a moment later.

"You must have had a _really_ bad day" he observed in concern as Charlie slammed the whiskey back. She coughed slightly when the drink burned the back of her throat.

"It was" she nodded picking up her beer "The worst...Thanks Alf" Alf nodded and Charlie made her way over to a seat in the corner of the room.

"I really shouldn't be doing this..." she whispered to herself. She took a sip from the bottle in her hand and leaned back closing her eyes "Yeah...This is a very bad idea..."

---

"Charlie?" Joey called quietly when she entered the house "Charlie?!" she spotted a note on the kitchen table and read over it quickly.

"I think she went out" Ruby said from where she was leaning against the doorway "Or she could be in her room..."

"Ruby!" Joey jumped slightly "Is it really necessary to sneak up on me?!"

Ruby shrugged "Sorry. So anyway I think Charlie's gone out. I might have upset her a while ago..."

"What?!" Joey looked up sharply "What did you say to her?"

"I told her that I couldn't talk to her and that I didn't want to hear her apologies or explanations because they were meaningless...I may have also suggested that I was never going to talk to her again..."

"Great" Joey muttered allowing the note to drop from her fingertips onto the kitchen table "Just Fucking Great!"

Ruby frowned at Joey's sudden expletive "What?!"

"Have you ever wondered..." Joey began tightly "What you would have done if you were in Charlie's position?!" Ruby opened her mouth to respond but Joey continued firmly "She was _fourteen_ Ruby! She was only a kid herself and not only was she _raped_ which is traumatic enough for anyone but she fell pregnant! Is it really so bad that she thought it was best to listen to her parents?!" The teenager once again attempted to interrupt but it appeared that Joey's anger and concern was still fuelling her rant "How was she supposed to look after you anyway?! What would you have preferred? That she had given you up for adoption and that she hadn't been in your life at all?!"

"It still doesn't change the fact that she lied to me for my whole life" Ruby said though her tone was shaky.

"And I don't condone that" Joey stated "But she did what she thought was best for you at the time and treating her like this is not going to fix anything! It's just going to destroy your relationship with her..."

"But I don't know what else to do!" Ruby responded tearfully "What am I supposed to do Joey?"

Joey instantly felt guilty at the site of the teens tears and moved over to her enveloping her in a warm embrace "I'm sorry Rubz...I didn't meant to upset you"

"I know" Ruby nodded tearfully against Joey's shoulder before she pulled back slightly "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do Jo."

"I don't know" Joey said quietly "But you can't keep pushing her away Ruby...You have to talk to her!"

Ruby sighed sadly "I can't talk to her...I don't know what to say or how I'm supposed to act around her now..."

"Rubz..."

"I need time to think" Ruby stepped away from Joey.

"How much time?" Joey asked softly "I know from experience that you'll regret it if you waste too much time..."

"The three months away?"

"Yeah...The three months away" Joey nodded.

"I don't know" Ruby murmured despondently "I just need..."

"Time?"

"Time" Ruby confirmed. She turned around to walk away but stopped at the doorway "Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you let me know when Charlie gets back?" Ruby asked quietly "So I know that she's okay? She's been gone for about an hour and a half so she'll probably be back before it gets too late..."

"Of course" Joey smiled at Ruby's inability to stop caring for Charlie "I'll let you know"

"Thanks" Ruby said gratefully before she walked out of the room and towards her own. Joey grabbed the note and moved into the living room where she slumped tiredly onto the couch.

"Joey..." Joey read slowly for the second time "Gone out, Be home soon, Love Charlie..." she smiled softly as she traced Charlie's name with her fingertips "Where are you Charlie?" she jumped slightly as the phone rang and she lunged to pick it up, worry washing over her.

"Joey Love?" Alf's voice sounded.

"Alf?" Joey questioned her concern only rising "Is something wrong?"

"Not really wrong" Alf answered in a low voice "But I've got your Charlie her and she's quite drunk. I've stopped serving her alcohol. I was wondering if you could come and pick her up?"

"Yeah" Joey was already grabbing her jacket "I'll be right there. Bye Alf"

"Bye" Alf's voice sounded before Joey hung up and flung the phone onto the couch.

"Ruby?!" Joey yelled "I'm going out!"With that she rushed quickly out of the house.

---

Charlie giggled quietly to herself as she drank the water Alf had ordered her to drink. A noise from above her caused her to look up.

"Hugo" she laughed "Just the person I didn't want to see tonight!"

"Are you okay Charlie?" Hugo questioned in feigned concern "You're drunk. Do you want me to take you home?"

"I most certainly am drunk" Charlie slurred poking him in the chest "But no I don't want you to take me home...I want Joey"

"Joey's not here" Hugo gestured around "So maybe I should just take you instead..."

"Let's get something straight Hugo" Charlie prodded him once again in the chest "I'm not" she burst into uncontrollable giggles at her own joke, almost falling off her seat.

"You have something on your shirt" Hugo grinned flirtatiously motioning towards Charlie's shirt "How about I help you out of it?"

Charlie shook her head "Go away Hugo..."

"I think it would be best if you backed off" Alf informed Hugo as he walked over to them "Joey's going to be here soon and if she sees you harassing Charlie she isn't going to be happy..."

Hugo huffed before standing up and stomping off.

"Thanks Alf" Charlie smiled drunkenly at the man.

"Its fine" Alf shrugged "Now Drink...It'll make you feel better" he motioned towards the water in front of Charlie before he turned and walked away. Charlie leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She opened them when somebody sat next to her, ready to tell Hugo to back off again.

"Joey!" she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around the younger girl in a drunken Hug "Hey!"

"Hey yourself" Joey pulled back and raised an eyebrow at Charlie's drunken stupor. Charlie merely grinned up at her innocently. Joey stood up and helped Charlie up from her seat "C'mon Honey, let's go home"

"Uh-huh" Charlie allowed herself to be pulled up from her seat almost dropped back down.

"Whoa!" Joey exclaimed wrapping an arm securely around Charlie's waist to hold her up "God you're really wasted...Just lean on me okay Charlie?"

"Mmmnhm" Charlie mumbled drunkenly. She wrapped her right arm around Joey's shoulders and allowed herself to be led from the bar though she didn't register much.

"Oh God" Joey muttered when Charlie began to sing a drunken rendition of 'You were always on my mind' By Elvis Presley as they walked down the beach.

"Maybe I didn't love you, Quite as often as I could have, little things I could have sssaiid and done I just never toooook the time, You were always on my mind...." Charlie stopped her drunken singing for a moment to look at Joey "Hey Jo?"

"Mmmnh?" Joey questioned her attentioned focused solely on getting Charlie to walk in a straight line.

"Nothing..."

Joey rolled her eyes and they fell silent for a few minutes. Charlie spoke up contemplatively as they approached the house.

"This is all such a mess. I don't know what to do..."

"Ruby will come around" Joey said quietly without looking at the other girl.

"I know...You've said that already" Charlie responded quietly "But I was actually talking about the stain on my shirt...I think I spilt something on it"

Joey glanced down at Charlie's shirt as she led her into the house to see that it did indeed have a dark stain on it. She moved them quickly to their bedroom and deposited Charlie gently on the bed.

"Okay" she stepped back and looked closely at Charlie "We should get you out of these clothes..."

Charlie shrugged and Joey gently tugged the older girls' shirt over her head. She got her changed quickly into a t-shirt and shorts.

"Joey?" Charlie asked softly apparently having sobered up a little bit. She continued when Joey looked up at her "I'm sorry that you have to do this. I know that I'm being a bit of a pain and I'm really not worth..."

"Charlie!" Joey cut her off loudly "Stop it...I don't mind this. You're hurting right now and I understand that. I love you more than anything else so don't even think about telling me that you're not worth it okay? I mean it..." she trailed off as she choked on her words.

"I'm sorry" Charlie murmured tearfully as she moved a hand to Joey's cheek and wiped falling tears away "Please don't cry Jo..."

Joey moved forward and engulfed Charlie in a loving embrace as her tears continued to fall "I hate seeing you in pain..."

"I'm sorry..." Charlie whimpered into Joey's shoulder.

"Its okay" Joey smiled weakly when she pulled away "Just...Get some sleep okay?" she guided Charlie gently down onto the bed and lay down next to her "It'll be okay..." she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the other girls lips.

"Okay" Charlie whispered as she snuggled close to Joey "I love you Jo..."

"I love you too..." Joey replied softly.

---

"Joey?" Ruby questioned when she walked into the kitchen "Did Charlie get home okay last night?"

"Yeah she did" Joey nodded slowly "I was going to tell you but you must have fallen asleep and I had to stay with her last night anyway...It was a bit rough for her"

"Oh" Ruby nodded. She looked up sharply when she took in Joey's word "Wait! What happened? Why was it rough?!"

"She got drunk" Joey answered quietly "So I had to go get her...Then she was having nightmares..."

"Oh" Ruby repeated sadly "Is she okay?"

"I think she's fine" Joey nodded.

"What do I do?" Ruby asked suddenly "To make it better?"

"I don't know" Joey sighed "like I said last night you have to talk to her..."

"I'm not even mad at her anymore" Ruby said quietly "I'm just confused. I mean...How am I supposed to act around her now? Like she's my mother? Or my sister? What do I even call her?"

"I don't know" Joey walked over to Ruby and wrapped a comforting arm around her "You'll have to talk to her about this. I'm sure it'll be fine"

Ruby nodded silently.

---

Ruby walked nervously into the living room later that day to see Charlie sitting on the couch with Joey at her side "Uh...Can I talk to you?"

"Oh" Charlie muttered sadly "Do you want me to..." she motioned towards the door.

"No" Ruby answered softly "It was actually you I wanted to talk to..." she glanced at Joey who looked like she was about to leave "You're fine too Jo..."

Charlie stood up apprehensively "So...What is it?"

"I'm not mad at you" Ruby confessed "And I don't hate you...I'm just so confused right now..."

"I understand that" Charlie nodded.

"I hate not talking to you..." Ruby admitted tearfully "I just need you to help me understand things right now Charlie..."

Charlie nodded as tears welled up in her own eyes "I hate not talking to you too..."

"I just...I need..." Ruby moved quickly forward and threw her arms around Charlie surprising her slightly. Charlie however hugged her back just as tightly.

"I love you" Ruby murmured into the older girls' ear "Nothing could change that"

"I love you too" Charlie whispered as her tears fell.

Ruby pulled back to look at Charlie "I'm sorry about how I've been treating you for the last week or so..."

"It's oka..."

"It's not okay" Ruby shook her head firmly "You deserve better than that...Especially from me"

Charlie shrugged silently.

"Can we talk about this later?" Ruby questioned softly "No yelling or anything I promise" she smiled weakly at the older girl.

"Of course" Charlie nodded "Whatever you want..."

Ruby turned around to leave the room but paused and turned back "Uh, hey?"

"Yeah Rubz?"

"Do you mind If I still call you Charlie?" Ruby asked nervously "I mean I'm not in denial or anything I just can't imagine calling you anything else"

"Yeah...You can call me Charlie" Charlie smiled.

Ruby hugged Charlie quickly before she walked out of the room.

"See?" Joey questioned when Charlie sat back on the couch next to her "I told you it would be fine"

"What did you say to her?" Charlie smiled.

"I may have yelled at her" Joey shrugged "But other than that she did it all by herself" she moved forward and kissed Charlie quickly "I can't help but be proud of her..."

"Me too" Charlie nodded "Thanks Joey. For being here. I don't know what I would do without you...I just....I love you more than I can even say"

"I love you too" Joey beamed before Charlie leaned closer and kissed her passionately.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Charlie?" Joey asked softly as she tenderly brushed a strand of hair from the other girls face.

"Mmmhm?"

"Are you awake?"

"No" Charlie giggled. She opened her eyes to look up at Joey who was leaning on her elbow to look down at her "What is it?"

"Nothing" Joey shrugged "I was just wondering if you were awake"

"Oh" Charlie smiled "Well in that case...No I'm not awake" she shifted further into Joey's embrace and sighed in contentment.

"It's good to see you happier than you were before" Joey commented sincerely.

"Uh-huh" Charlie responded quietly "But I'll be a hell of a lot happier when I've gotten this talk with Ruby out of the way"

"Nervous?" Joey questioned softly. She took Charlie's hand in her own and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Hell Yes" Charlie sighed forlornly "I hated it when she wasn't talking to me but I don't actually know what to say to her"

"Tell her the truth"

"What?" Charlie asked "What am I supposed to tell her? That I couldn't see an easier way out so I just gave her up?"

"You're too hard on yourself" Joey placed a tender kiss on Charlie's head "You were only fourteen Charlie. What were you supposed to do? You know you couldn't have handled a baby at that age"

"I could have tried" Charlie argued guiltily "I could have...I don't know. I could have ignored my parents. I could have put Ruby first for once instead of my life. Instead of my job"

"Are you kidding me?" Joey actually laughed at Charlie's statement causing the older girl to tense in her arms "Sorry...I just mean that...When have you _not_ put Ruby first Charlie? You do _everything _for her. She's lucky to have you"

"I lied to her"

"Because you thought that was what was best for her" Joey countered "You really need to stop beating yourself up about this Babe...You did the best thing for Ruby in the situation and she'll realise that when you've explained it to her"

"I don't know" Charlie looked up at Joey and offered her a weak smile "I think I just need to think about all of this..."

"You Buckton's and your 'thinking things over'" Joey grinned "It's like a family trait...You over analyse"

Charlie shrugged sheepishly before her expression turned slightly more serious. She pulled away from Joey's embrace and sat up in the bed "Joey?"

"What?" Joey too pushed herself into a sitting position as worry washed over her "What's wrong?"

"I know you said you were okay with it..." Charlie started nervously "But are you _really_ okay with the fact that I have a daughter?" Joey was about to interrupt but Charlie continued "I mean doesn't it bother you in the slightest that I'm a mother?"

"No" Joey responded sincerely "It doesn't matter to me at all. And I'm definitely not going to leave. In case you haven't noticed I'm kind of attached to you two. Despite _your_ drunken tendencies"

"Good" Charlie sighed in relief "that's good" her eyes widened in surprise when she registered Joey's final word "Wait! What drunken tendencies?!"

Joey grinned smugly "Nothing important..."

"I didn't do anything embarrassing did I?!"

The younger girl shrugged.

"C'mon Joey tell me!" when Joey merely grinned at her Charlie pouted "Please Jo?"

"That's cheating" Joey narrowed her eyes at Charlie "You know I can't resist that look"

"Sorry...So what did I do?"

"Fine. I'll tell you" Joey said seriously. She paused for a moment and Charlie gazed at her apprehensively "Well first of all you confessed your undying love to a potted plant...this was before you decided to strip in the middle of the bar while singing 'Don't Cha" by the PCD but on the bright side I don't think anyone was complaining..." Joey tried to keep a straight face but at the look of unadulterated horror on Charlie's face she burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"Joey!" Charlie slapped her lightly on her arm "That was mean! You were kidding...Right?!"

"Yeah" Joey laughed "I was kidding..." at Charlie's sigh of relief she continued "About the plant"

"What?!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Sorry" Joey gasped through her laughter " I'm joking...You're just so damn easy..." she managed to sober up after a moment "But you did sing a really bad rendition of 'you were always on my mind' by Elvis Presley "

"Oh My God" Charlie cringed blushing profusely "Were we in public?"

"No" Joey grinned cheekily "We were walking down the beach which was empty"

"Phew" Charlie said in relief.

"Y'know...You're incredibly cute when you're all flustered and embarrassed"

"Yeah?" Charlie smiled.

"Yeah" Joey breathed before she moved forward and captured Charlie's lips with her own in a fervent but impossibly soft kiss. She threaded a hand through the other girls' hair and pulled her close. Though slightly surprised at the suddenness of the action Charlie responded after a matter of seconds.

"Wow" Charlie gasped when they finally pulled away for air "That was...unexpected" she tugged Joey back into the kiss.

"Okay" Joey said breathlessly when she pulled away "We have to stop before I'm not able to" she clutched Charlie's hand which had trailed underneath her t-shirt in order to still it.

"Why do we have to stop?" Charlie pouted.

"Because you have to talk to Ruby" Joey replied "Now go jump in the shower" she kissed the older girl chastely "And I'll make you some Coffee" she jumped clambered over Charlie and out of the bed.

"You're too sensible" Charlie smiled.

"Maybe" Joey called behind her as she walked towards the door "But one of us has to be"

Charlie slumped down against the pillows and sighed happily "What did I do to deserve her?"

---

"Hey!" Joey chirped happily as she walked into the kitchen to see Ruby sitting at the table.

"Hi..." Ruby muttered in response.

"What's wrong?" Joey questioned in concern "You don't sound very happy"

"Charlie and I are going to talk" Ruby explained softly "And I don't really know what to expect from it. I don't know what she's going to say"

Joey sat down at the table next to the teenager and gazed at her closely "It scares me how similar you two are. She was freaking out too"

"She was?" Ruby questioned finally looking up at Joey "About talking to me?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "She was freaking out about what to say to you"

"Oh" Ruby chewed thoughtfully on her lip "Is she still freaking out?"

"Probably" Joey smiled "You know what Charlie's like...and that's the point"

"What is?"

"That you know her" Joey stated firmly "You know Charlie. Charlie knows you. Neither of you are different people than you were before so there's no reason to feel uncomfortable around each other"

"You make it sound so simple" Ruby sighed "Like our relationship hasn't completely changed"

"It hasn't" Joey shrugged "Not really. You could still have the same relationship as before if neither of you let it change"

"I want to..." Ruby said quietly "I just...I don't know how to act around her."

"Then talk to her" Joey reached out and placed her hand comfortingly atop Ruby's.

"Thanks Jo" the younger girl smiled weakly.

"No problem" Joey shrugged.

"I'm sorry about putting you in the middle all of the time...It must get really annoying"

"I don't mind. Really" Joey responded "I'm glad that you feel that you can talk to me about this stuff"

Ruby offered her a small smile and they descended into silence.

"Okay..." Joey said as she stood up "I need to make Coffee because Charlie will be finished in the shower soon and you know how cranky she can be in the morning"

"She's got you wrapped around her little finger" Ruby observed with a warm smile.

"Funny" Joey smirked "I told the same thing about you"

"Yeah well..." Ruby said quietly "She loves us both a lot. We're really lucky to have her..."

"That we are" Joey smiled.

"Well...I should go before Charlie gets out of the shower..." when Joey glanced at her in disappointment Ruby continued "I'm not avoiding her...I just have to clear my head before I talk to her" with that the younger girl turned and left the room.

"Of course" Joey rolled her eyes.

---

"So..." Ruby started nervously as she watched Joey leave the room. She turned her attention back to Charlie who was standing unsurely next to her, her eyes on the doorway.

"Uh..."

"God we're ridiculous" Ruby laughed "We can't even talk without Joey in the room"

"Yeah" Charlie laughed along with the younger girl feeling some of the tension fade from the room "She has become a bit of a mediator between us"

"So...We should sit" Ruby motioned towards the couch. She moved over to it and sat down gesturing for Charlie to do the same.

Charlie sat down and took a deep breath "Okay...Here goes"

Ruby nodded silently indicating that she should continue "Okay..."

"Joey told you that I was um...Raped when I was fourteen right?" Charlie questioned watching Ruby's expression closely.

"Yeah" Ruby winced "She did tell me that"

"I kept it a secret from everybody for a while..." Charlie spoke softly "The guy who did it...A friend of Dad's said that if I told anyone he would kill me so...I stayed silent. But I started to get morning sickness and I eventually had to tell Mum and Dad about it..." she paused for a moment to see how Ruby was taking the information but found she couldn't read her expression "Dad was angry at me. He thought that I had been sleeping around or something. But when he found out he didn't even doubt me. He said..." Charlie trailed off as she choked slightly on her words.

Ruby hesitated for a moment before she reached out and grasped the older girls' hand in her own.

Charlie offered her a weak smile before she continued quietly "He said that I wasn't old enough to cope with a baby and that rather than giving her...you up to complete strangers that they should take you instead. I...I was fourteen and I thought that they know what was best for me. I know that that doesn't excuse that I lied to you for your whole life and I don't expect you to just..."

"I understand"

"Forgive me and..." Charlie continued "Wait...You what?"

"I understand" Ruby repeated slowly "Why you had to give me up. I can't even imagine having a baby at that age. I don't really understand why you lied to me about it but I _am _sorry that I was so bitchy about it before. I was just so confused and I never should have treated you like that..."

"You had every reason to be mad at me" Charlie argued quietly.

"But I had no right to treat you like I did because no matter what you're Charlie and you're always there for me when I need you" Ruby smiled tearfully "I just don't want to lose you and Joey kind of helped me to realise that"

"I don't want to lose you either" Charlie smiled equally as tearfully "I was just...I was so scared to tell you before..."

They remained silent for a moment as they gazed at each other tearfully before Ruby shifted slightly closer "I still get hugs, right?"

"Of course you do" Charlie smiled opening her arms to the younger girl "C'mere"

Ruby moved quickly into Charlie's offered embrace and found herself immediately enveloped in a tight hug. She pulled back after a couple of minutes to look at Charlie "I don't want this to change anything between us...I mean we're still going to be just as close as before, right? You're not mad at me for what I did?"

"Yeah, Of course we are!" Charlie answered quickly "And I don't think there's anything to forgive. I mean if anything I should be asking _you_ for forgiveness but yes I forgive you Rubz"

"I forgive you too" Ruby smiled warmly "I just want everything to get back to normal...y'know?"

"I know" Charlie nodded slowly "But it might take a while you know that, right?"

"I know" Ruby said quietly as she shifted slightly away from Charlie "But we can do it"

"Yeah, we can..."

A comfortable silence very unlike the tense ones of the past few weeks filled the room before Joey interrupted them.

"Hey" she smiled warily from the doorway "Is it safe to enter"

"Yes" Ruby answered with a smile "I think we're okay for now...Right?" she looked to Charlie for confirmation.

"Yeah" Charlie nodded.

"Good" Joey grinned as she walked into the living room and slumped onto the couch between them, wrapping an arm around both girls' shoulders "Because being a mediator between you two is exhausting!"

"Yeah..." Charlie bit her lip guiltily "Sorry about that Jo..."

Joey shrugged "Don't worry about it...As I said to Ruby when she tried to apologise, It means a lot that you both trust me with this stuff. Anyway what would you two do without my guidance?"

"I'd still be sulking in my room" Ruby replied "Or I'd still be treating Charlie like crap if you hadn't yelled at me"

"And I would probably be drunk or something" Charlie shrugged "Confessing my undying love to potted plants"

"What?" Ruby questioned in confusion "You told a plant that you loved it?"

"No" Charlie laughed "But Joey told me that I did"

"I also told you that you stripped in the bar while singing 'Don't Cha'" Joey grinned cheekily.

"But you didn't, right?" the youngest Buckton asked wide eyed.

"No!"

"Good" Ruby sighed in relief "That's...good"

"So" Joey said suddenly turning her attention to Charlie "How much longer have you got of work?"

"About 3 month" Charlie replied gloomily.

"You know most people would be happy that they had time off work" Ruby shook her head in amusement "But not Charlie the workaholic"

"Am not" Charlie protested amiably.

"Are too"

"Am Not"

"Are too!"

"Am..."

"Hey!" Joey interrupted them "I'm kind of trying to tell you two something here"

"Sorry..." Charlie smiled at Joey "What is it Jo?"

"Well since you have a while off work..." Joey explained excitedly "And Ruby has some time off school..."

"Uh oh..." Charlie muttered.

"I was thinking we could all go out on the boat for a while!" Joey grinned happily "I kind of told Ruby that I would take you both." She glanced over at Ruby "I don't know if you remember...You were kind of delirious with Fever. I was trying to keep you awake"

"I remember" Ruby nodded "In that room"

"Uh-huh" Joey confirmed "That's it"

"I'll go" Ruby smiled.

"I get seasick" Charlie pouted.

"Come on Charlie!" Joey pleaded "It'll be fun and you two can figure stuff out while we're out there...It's kind of hard to run away in the middle of the ocean..."

"I don't know" Charlie bit her lip nervously "I kind of prefer to stay on dry land...What if we sink?!"

"We won't sink" Joey replied "And I'll check the weather for any storms coming in...I promise"

"We should totally go" Ruby contributed. She gazed at the older girl with the infamous Buckton puppy dog look "Please?"

"Okay" Charlie conceded hesitantly "We can go"

"Yes!" Joey and Ruby whooped in unison and high fived each other.

Charlie rolled her eyes in amusement but couldn't help the bright smile that tugged at her lips at the thought of a secret free future with the two most important people in her life.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys thank you all so much for your reviews, they're all greatly appreciated. This chapter is kind of short and not much happens but I'll try to make the next chapter better...Hope you all enjoy anyway. **

Chapter 26

"Mmmn" Ruby hummed happily as she walked into the kitchen "I smell food"

Joey looked over her shoulder at the younger girl who had dropped into a chair at the table. She flashed her a quick smile before retuning her gaze in front of her "Hey Rubz...Pancakes for breakfast...Is that okay?"

"They smell amazing" Ruby inhaled the scent deeply. She watched intently as Joey grabbed a plate and set about piling pancakes on it.

"Good" Joey smiled as she placed a plate of pancakes on the table.

"Thanks Jo" Ruby grinned up at her "You're the best"

"That's what they tell me" Joey shrugged modestly as she slid into a seat across from Ruby and sipped tentatively at her coffee.

"Where's Charlie anyway?" Ruby questioned when she had swallowed a mouthful of pancakes "I thought she would be up by now"

"She is" Joey nodded unable to help the smile that tugged at her lips at the mention of her girlfriend's name "She said that she had to go to the station for something"

"You two seem happy" Ruby said quietly. She looked up at Joey seriously "Charlie hasn't really been this happy for a while..."

"We are" Joey smiled happily "We're really happy..."

"Good" The teenager grinned "I wouldn't want you two breaking up because...well I'd starve"

"Right" Joey shook her head in amusement at the younger girls "So...What about you and Charlie? How's that going now?"

Ruby shrugged and diverted her attention back to the plate in front of her "It's going okay I guess...Things are still a little bit awkward but I think it's getting better..."

"Just take it one step at a time" Joey said reassuringly "You'll get used to the change eventually..."

"I hope so..." Ruby said quietly. She glanced up at Joey "Maybe this boat trip will help with that. Like you said there's nowhere to run in the middle of the sea. Unless of course, I get really desperate and jump"

"I doubt that will happen" Joey laughed "You two will be totally fine. You've already sorted most of this stuff out, right? All you have to do now is...smooth over the edges"

"You're right...All of this is just taking a bit of getting used to that's all"

Joey nodded understandingly "I get that...But the bond you and Charlie have is really strong and you will get through this. That's all that matters. Even if you can't define your relation to her right now, the relationship is still just as strong..."

"You should rethink career goals" Ruby grinned teasingly "Become a counsellor or something...You'd be a good one"

"I doubt it" Joey replied "That probably isn't the best job for me..."

"Why not?" Ruby questioned curiously.

"It's complicated" Joey said vaguely "Anyway I'm associated with way too many crazy people...Maybe I drove them crazy"

Ruby watched her closely, trying to decipher whether she was being serious or not "You know that's not true, right? The Colin thing wasn't your fault at all and Robbo...Well he definitely wasn't your fault. And Charlie will tell you exactly the same thing"

"I know" Joey smiled at the teenager "She's told me like a million times already"

"Good" Ruby nodded her approval "Because they're the only ones to blame"

"So..." Joey spoke in an attempt to steer the conversation away from that topic "Do you think Charlie's coming around to the idea of the boat trip?"

"She'd better be...We leave today, remember?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "I know...But you know what Charlie's like..." the two girls fell into a comfortable silence.

After a moment Ruby looked up to see Joey gazing expectantly at the door "Missing her?"

"Hmmn?" The older girl looked up "Oh...Yeah. I can't really help it"

"It's kind of sweet" Ruby grinned. She watched as Joey stood up and tried to distract herself by washing dishes.

"I wonder when she'll be..." Joey was cut off by Charlie walking into the kitchen with a spring in her step.

"How are my two favourite girls?" she beamed happily.

"Great" Ruby nodded distractedly "You should totally try these pancakes by the way. Your girlfriend is a star...Definitely a keeper"

"Don't I know it" Charlie agreed. She reached out and ruffled Ruby's hair earning herself a playful glare which quickly turned into a smile.

"I hope my cooking isn't the only reason I'm a keeper" Joey said as she wiped her hands on a towel and turned to face them.

"Definitely not" Charlie walked over to Joey and wrapped her arms loosely around the other girls waist, placing a soft kiss on her lips "Hi by the way"

"Hey" Joey smiled in response "I missed you"

"You always miss me" Charlie grinned at her "But I missed you too"

"Good" Joey leaned forward slightly and captured Charlie's lips with her own.

"And that's my cue..." Ruby said from the table as she stood up "I'm going to go and get ready..." when she got to response she rolled her eyes at them "Alrighty then" she turned and walked out of the room.

"Did she say something?" Charlie questioned when she pulled away to look at Joey.

"Uh...she said she was going to get ready" Joey answered distractedly.

"Ready for what?"

Joey placed a soft kiss on Charlie's lips before pushing her gently backwards into a chair "Sit. Eat..." she pushed the stack of pancakes towards Charlie "You need to keep your strength up"

"Obviously" Charlie laughed "So what was Ruby talking about?" she squirted syrup on her pancakes and glanced up at Joey

"We leave today, remember?" Joey asked "For the boat trip?"

"Oh yeah" Charlie winced "I remember..." she took a bite of her pancakes and hummed in satisfaction "God, these are good. Ruby wasn't exaggerating"

"I'm glad you like them" Joey smiled "So about the trip..."

"Can't we go somewhere safer?" Charlie implored quietly "Maybe somewhere dryer too?"

"It's perfectly safe" Joey reassured her as she took a seat next to the older girl and placed a hand on her arm "You've been on a boat with me before anyway"

"Twice" Charlie responded "And not for very long. I've never actually slept on a boat before"

"It's not all that different from sleeping on dry land" Joey shrugged "Come on Charlie...It'll be fun, anyway I wouldn't let anything happen to you..."

"Okay" Charlie sighed reluctantly. She smiled up at Joey "But just 'cause I love you so much..." she pushed her plate gently towards the younger girl "Not eating?"

"I was too busy waiting for you to come home" Joey shrugged shyly "How did that go by the way? At the station?"

"It went fine" Charlie answered "I just went to tell Georgie that I was going away so that she wouldn't worry about us and come around all guns blazing"

"Oh" Joey nodded slowly "It's a good thing that you thought of that"

"Yep" Charlie nodded as she raised the fork slightly "Now eat. To preserve your strength" she winked suggestively causing Joey to blush.

---

"So we just have to get the picnic hamper then we're all set to go?" Charlie asked as she walked along hand in hand with Joey. She looked over her shoulder to see Ruby trailing behind them.

"Yeah" Joey nodded "We've done everything else haven't we? We've told Leah that we're leaving, you've told Georgie and I think we have everything on the boat..."

"Right" Charlie muttered. They walked into the diner and Charlie frowned when Joey pulled her hand away.

"Sorry" Joey apologised guiltily "Habit"

Charlie let it go for the minute and paid for the hamper but when they were back outside she handed Ruby the hamper.

"Can we have a minute Rubz?" Charlie didn't take her eyes off Joey.

"Sure" Ruby glanced between Joey and Charlie in concern before she walked off.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked softly.

Joey shrugged "It was just an old habit. We were never usually this public and I guess since the diner was really full that you..."

"I don't want to hide" Charlie interrupted her quietly. She moved closer to Joey and wrapped her arms around her waist "I want to be _with_ you Jo. I really can't keep my hands off you and I don't want to feel like I have to just because of what people think about us..."

"Are you sure?" Joey smiled unsurely.

"Yes!" Charlie exclaimed firmly "I'm absolutely sure about this. I'm in Love with you and I don't care who knows about us...I'll shout it from the rooftops if you want me to..."

"Okay" Joey's smile widened slightly "I'm sorry about before"

"It's okay" Charlie tugged Joey forward and kissed her passionately. When they pulled away they were both left slightly breathless "But you have to know that I'm not ashamed of us Jo..."

"Okay" Joey nodded.

"Come on then" Charlie wrapped an arm around Joey's shoulders as they began to walk "Ruby will be getting worried..."

---

"Do we really have to do this?" Charlie questioned nervously as she stood at the side of the boat "We could go somewhere dry and warm"

"Yes" Ruby and Joey answered in unison.

"What if we sink?" Charlie questioned for the hundredth time.

"We're not going to sink" Joey reassured her "It's not possible..."

"Don't say that!" Charlie looked absolutely horrified "Whenever they say stuff like that in the movies something always happens..."

"This isn't the movies" Joey reminded her gently.

"What if we hit a rock or something and sink?"

"I can swim" Ruby grinned.

"Ruby" Joey warned the younger girl who shrugged innocently. She turned her attention back to her girlfriend "We're not going to sink Honey. I promise. And we're only going to be gone for a week. I've checked for storm warnings and everything. There's nothing"

"Okay" Charlie took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down "I'm sorry...I'm overreacting"

"Don't worry about it" Joey pulled her into a tight hug and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head "We'll be absolutely fine. I promise"

"Right" Charlie returned the embrace just as tightly before she pulled back and offered her a brave smile "So are we leaving?"

"Yep" Joey nodded "Just climb aboard"

All three girls climbed aboard and Joey started the engine. She glanced back at Charlie and smiled at her "You Okay Babe?"

"I'm fine" Charlie nodded a bit too quickly "I'm not worried. I mean I'm in expert hands, right?"

"Right" Joey laughed. She drove them a way out before turning the engine off and walking over to Charlie. She sat next to her and pulled her into her arms "Are you still okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine" Charlie smiled. She leaned forward and kissed Joey tenderly "It really isn't all that bad" she stood up and moved to the other side of the boat "The view is amazing"

"Yeah" Joey nodded her eyes lingering on Charlie "It certainly is"

Ruby rolled her eyes at them.

Charlie turned around and beamed happily at Joey.

"_I love you" _she mouthed silently

"_I love you too_" Joey replied just as silently.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Ruby...Shut up" Charlie stated firmly though her gaze was flitting nervously between the sides of the boat.

"What?" Ruby asked innocently "I just thought you should know to stay away from the side, that's all!"

"There are no sharks" Charlie responded firmly "You were imagining things" she gazed closely at her sister and could just make out a hint of amusement under her innocent facade.

"I wasn't" the teenager shook her head "There was a shark. I saw its fin!"

"Really Rubz" Charlie laughed nervously "I know you're making it up"

"Then why did you move away from the side?" Ruby challenged.

"Ruby!" Joey warned as she appeared from below deck and walked over to Charlie "Stop torturing Charlie" she glanced at Charlie and smiled reassuringly "There are no Sharks"

"You're no fun" Ruby grumbled. She flashed a smile at Charlie "Sorry Charlz...I was just messing"

Charlie shrugged and glanced at Joey "Jo..."

Joey sighed and tugged Charlie towards the control room, closing the door behind them.

"Charlie Honey" Joey pulled the older girl close to her "There's nothing at all to worry about, okay? We're perfectly safe on the boat. We're not going to sink, we're not going to get eaten by sharks and we're not going to do anything else that you're worrying about"

"I know" Charlie sighed quietly "I'm sorry Joey. I just can't relax. It's like I'm waiting for a brick to come flying at me and me hit my head"

"Well..." Joey smiled "I don't think it's likely that you'll be hit by bricks here" she tightened her embrace slightly "Just relax Charlie. Nothing is going to happen to us out here, you trust me right?"

"Of course I do" Charlie replied instantly.

"Then just have a little faith" Joey grinned "And take it easy"

"Okay" Charlie exhaled deeply "I can try to do that"

"Good" Joey pressed a short kiss to Charlie's lips "Just ignore Ruby, you know what she's like"

"Yeah" Charlie murmured thoughtfully "I do..."

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed suddenly "I know how you can get over your fear!"

"How?"

"Drive the boat!"

"What?!" Charlie's eyes widened in shock "Me? No...I can't do that. I'll crash or something!"

"Crash into what?" Joey gestured around them "There's nothing here"

"I'll find _something_" Charlie answered "Plus it's against the law. I don't have a licence to drive a boat"

"But" Joey argued brightly "If I'm there with you and I have my hands on the wheel, you're not breaking the law"

"I don't know..." Charlie bit her lip in concern "You won't let me crash or anything?"

"I'll be right behind you" Joey responded reassuringly. She moved over to the wheel pulling a slightly reluctant Charlie with "It'll be fine Charlie. I promise"

"Okay" Charlie nodded slowly.

"It would probably help if you had your hands on the wheel" Joey moved close to Charlie's back.

"Y'know..." Charlie said as she placed her hands on the wheel "It's kind of hard to concentrate while you're pressed up against me"

"Sorry" Joey giggled as she turned the ignition key and placed her hands atop the older girl's on the wheel.

"Shit, we're moving..." Charlie muttered softly.

"Its okay" Joey soothed quietly "Just steer...its easy"

"Yeah for you maybe..."

"You weren't this nervous the first time you were on the boat with me" Joey said in an attempt to relax her girlfriend.

"I wish I could remember fully" Charlie sighed sadly "Then maybe I wouldn't be so nervous now..."

Joey loosened her grip on one of Charlie's hands causing her to tense almost immediately.

"Where are you going?!"

"Nowhere" Joey pulled one hand off the wheel "I just don't need both hands on the wheel..." she wrapped an arm lightly around Charlie's waist and pressed a soft kiss to her neck "I'd much rather have them on you"

"Distracting!" Charlie squeaked under Joey's attentions.

"Sorry..."

They fell into silence for a few minutes in which time Joey noticed Charlie loosen up considerably.

"Do you think Ruby's still a little bit mad at me?" Charlie asked softly.

"No" Joey replied, slightly surprised at the question "Why? Did she say something?"

"No..." Charlie shook her head "It's just a feeling I have. I'm probably being paranoid"

"You?!" Joey gasped in mock disbelief "Never!"

"Hey!" Charlie nudged her girlfriend gently.

"Sorry" Joey said again. She tightened her embrace slightly and they fell into a comfortable silence, savouring the embrace.

"Charlie?" Joey frowned having noticed that Charlie's grip on the wheel had relaxed slightly "Are you okay?" she grabbed the wheel quickly with one hand and managed to stop the boat and turn off the engine.

"I'm fine" Charlie finally answered slowly "I just had a flashback that's all...It's never happened before when I'm awake though..."

"Come on" Joey guided her onto the deck and sat her down gently "You need air..."

"What's wrong with Charlie?" Ruby asked when she looked up at them. She jumped to her feet and moved to sit at Charlie's side.

"It was just a flashback... I'm fine Rubz" Charlie took a deep breath and smiled up at Joey who was hovering above her uncertainly "You didn't tell me we had done that before"

"You remember?" Joey questioned hopefully.

Charlie nodded and Joey hugged her tightly "That's great!" she pulled back and kissed her softly "Really great!"

"Yeah. I guess that means my memory's coming back."

"It's about time" Ruby smiled from next to them.

---

Joey gazed contemplatively into the dark night sky at the stars twinkling above them. She tightened her embrace around her girlfriend when she felt her shiver slightly "Cold?"

"A little bit" Charlie snuggled further into Joey's arms and sighed in contentment "Much better"

"Joey?" Ruby questioned quietly, her eyes focused on where Joey and Charlie sat close together.

"Hmmn?" Joey hummed quietly, glancing up at her.

"You know when I said there's a chance I'll get really desperate and jump?"

"Yeah" Joey frowned "What about it?"

"I think I'm getting there" Ruby explained jokingly "You guys are killing my with your cutsie-ness"

Both girls shrugged sheepishly.

"But seriously" the teenager continued in a more serious tone of voice "It's nice to see both of you happier than you were before and I'm really sorry about making this so hard for the both of you...With my issues"

"Its okay" Charlie replied quietly "We're totally fine"

"That's good" Ruby nodded to herself "Because I don't know what the hell we would do if you guys broke up"

"What do you mean?"

"Our arguments would never be sorted out if Joey wasn't around"

"You're probably right" Joey laughed "You're both way too stubborn for your own good..."

"Charlie's fault" Ruby stated.

"What?" Charlie exclaimed "How is that my fault?"

"Well I had to get it from somewhere, right?" Ruby asked "and since you're the most hard headed person I know..."

"I am not!"

"You are"

"Am not!"

"Here we go again..." Joey muttered, though she couldn't help the content smile that tugged at her lips.

"Ruby?" she questioned suddenly noticing the teen was practically hanging over the side of the boat "Could you do me a favour?"

"What?" Ruby grinned cheekily "Want me to disappear so you can seduce Charlie?"

"Not yet..." Joey smiled "But could you lean forward? I keep thinking you're going to you know..."

"I'm fine..." Ruby leaned back slightly further on the railing "See? Fi..." she trailed off as she toppled overboard and landed with a splash in the water.

Charlie and Joey gazed at where the younger girl had been only a moment before in shock.

"Ruby?!" Charlie yelled, jumping to her feet and rushing to the edge of the boat "Ruby, are you okay?" there was no sign of Ruby resurfacing and Charlie looked up at Joey "Jo, she's not coming back up..."

"I'm sure she's..."

"RUBY?!" Charlie called out again. When there was no answer she glanced at Joey quickly before vaulting over the railing

"CHARLIE!" Joey exclaimed in shock. She bit her lip nervously as she waited for her to resurface and resisted the urge to jump in after them. After a moment she saw Charlie and Ruby resurface in the water and breathed a sigh of relief. She moved over to the back of the boat and offered them both a hand, helping them back on board. They stood soaked and shivering in front of her. Joey burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Charlie stuttered "That water is freeeeezing!"

"Sorry" Joey gasped for air through her giggles "It's just you two look really comical right now" she glanced at Ruby "I told you that you were going to fall!"

"Whatever" Ruby rolled her eyes at her.

"Are either of you hurt?" Joey asked seriously "Because I have like five first aid kits..."

"Why have you got so many?" Charlie asked in confusion "Did you expect something to happen"

"I figured something would...Ruby's on board"

"Oh" Charlie nodded.

"I'm not that accident prone!" Ruby pouted.

"Yes you are" Joey and Charlie said in unison.

"You should go get changed before you catch a cold" Joey informed Ruby quietly "You've only just gotten over the hypothermia!"

"Yeah, Yeah I'm going" Ruby turned her gaze to Charlie "Thanks for jumping in after me..."

"Anytime" Charlie shrugged.

"Goodnight then..."

"'Night" Joey and Charlie echoed in unison. They watched her walk slowly away.

"Sooo..." Joey said as she turned to Charlie "Are you coming to bed?"

"Uh-huh" Charlie shivered slightly as she took Joey's outstretched hand.

---

"I was kind of surprised when you jumped in the water" Joey admitted quietly "I thought the boat freaked you out but you just jumped right in"

"I thought Ruby was drowning....Jumping in was instinctual" Charlie murmured quietly as she traced the scar on Joey's stomach with gentle fingertips.

"Yeah well..." Joey smiled dropping a small kiss on her girlfriends' head "I still think it was incredibly brave of you to overcome your fear like that..."

"It was nothing..." both girls fell silent focusing only on the soft melody that came from the CD player in the small room.

Charlie noticed Joey tense slightly under her hand and she stilled it immediately "Sorry...Does that hurt?"

"No" Joey responded softly "It just tingles a little bit...its fine"

"Hey" Charlie said suddenly "It's our song"

"Our song?" Joey focused intently on the music.

_...I held on anyway_

_But I didn't do it, _

_I couldn't do it_

_Love only hurts just a little..._

"You remember?" she smiled softly.

"I remember" Charlie nodded "On the boat. I remember everything about being on the boat with you. I'm sorry I freaked out..." she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Joey's lips "If I had known then how much I would feel for you..."

"Its fine" Joey said reassuringly "Let's just focus on the present okay?"

"Okay" Charlie nodded "I love you Jo"

"I love you too" Joey whispered. She pulled Charlie close to her and kissed her passionately allowing her hand to thread through the other girls' dark hair. She pulled back slightly breathless "God I'm glad we have a separate room from Ruby"

"Thin walls though" Charlie smiled "We'll have to be quiet"

"I can do that" Joey pulled Charlie into another heated kiss.

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks for all the reviews guys. They really mean a lot and help with the fic :)**

Chapter 28

"AACHOO!" Charlie raised her hands to her face in order to capture the sneeze that escaped her. She sniffled and glared at Joey who was gazing at her in adoration "This isn't funny"

"I didn't say anything!" Joey defended innocently.

"You were going to" Charlie sniffled quietly.

"I was just thinking that you're totally adorable when you're sick!" Joey grinned.

"I hate being sick!" Charlie pouted at her girlfriend.

"Well than you shouldn't have jumped into the water" Joey smiled as she slid under the covers of the bed and pulled Charlie into her arms "How do you feel?"

"Terrible" Charlie sighed. She leaned her head on Joey's shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist "And for the record I had to jump in"

"I know" Joey dropped a kiss on the older girls' slightly overheated forehead "It's a good thing we're heading back to the bay today..."

"We are?" Charlie mumbled.

"Uh-huh" Joey nodded "Which means that you..." she poked Charlie lightly in her ribs causing her release a small giggle "Get to go back to dry land"

"Just me?" Charlie responded in amusement "You are coming with me you know. I'd kind of miss you if you stayed out here"

"I know you would" Joey stated happily "I would miss you too...Which is why I'm going with you"

"Good"

"And after you've seen a doctor you're going directly to bed"

"Yeah?" Charlie grinned impishly "I like the way you think Miss. Collins"

"To sleep" Joey smiled, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks "You need to get better"

"Oh" Charlie's expression fell and she pouted in disappointment "I don't understand why I got the stupid cold and Ruby's perfectly fine"

"Neither do I..." Joey shrugged.

"It sucks..." Charlie complained softly "I feel really hot but then I feel really cold, my throat is killing me and so is my head"

"I'm sorry" Joey tightened her embrace slightly "But we'll be home really soon. I promise"

"I know" Charlie mumbled quietly "Where's Ruby?"

"I think she's still asleep" the younger girl answered.

"Typical"

"I have to go..." Joey said, reluctantly standing up "Or we'll never get home"

"Okay" Charlie pouted.

She leaned forward and was about to kiss Charlie when the older girl placed two fingers on her lips halting her progress.

"What?" she mumbled.

"I'm sick" Charlie smiled "You can't kiss me or you'll get sick too...Sorry Babe"

Joey pouted and leaned back "What If I kiss you quickly?"

Charlie thought for a moment "Uh...." Joey looked on hopefully as Charlie seemed to be considering it "...No"

"Fine" Joey spoke softly before she pulled Charlie into a tight hug "I'll just have to hug you and refuse to let go"

"Totally fine by me" Charlie giggled.

---

"At last!" Charlie stated exaggeratedly as soon as she stepped off the boat "Dry land!"

"You're so dramatic" Joey laughed, wrapping an arm securely around Charlie's waist and pulling her close.

"I have to agree" Ruby nodded as they began to walk slowly.

"Whatever" Charlie stuck her tongue out at Ruby playfully before turning her gaze to Joey "Where are we going?"

"We're going to the doctors" Joey responded slowly "and then we're going home so you can sleep...Is that Okay? Because I'm sure Rachel would come out if I asked her to..."

"Its fine" Charlie nodded "I'm just kind of tired..."

"Am I being paranoid?" Ruby questioned nervously "Or is that car following us?"

Both Joey and Charlie looked over their shoulders to see a dark blue car driving slowly further up the road. They could just make out the outline of a man in the car but couldn't see him clearly. When he saw them watching him he quickly turned the car around and drove away. The three girls exchanged unnerved looks before they continued walking.

---

"Ugh!" Charlie groaned as she slumped down on the couch. She buried her face in the cushion and breathed in slowly trying to push the rising sickness away. The doctor had said that she had _laryngitis _and given her antibiotics to take as well as prescribed bed rest.

Joey allowed her gaze to linger on the other girl for a moment before she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and two of the penicillin pills the doctor had prescribed Charlie.

"Charlie?" she spoke softly.

Charlie glanced up at her "Uh-huh?"

"You need to take these" Joey said lifting her hand to reveal the pills "They'll help with the achyness"

Charlie sat up on the couch and took them with the water Joey handed her. She made a sour face as she handed Joey the glass back "Yuk"

Joey laughed at her as she held out her hand towards Charlie. Charlie looked confused for a moment before she took it and Joey pulled her gently off the couch.

She grinned as she noticed Joey was pulling her towards the bedroom "As much as I want to...I'm kind of sick over here so..."

"Can't what?" Joey interrupted as she pulled Charlie into the bedroom "What exactly are you thinking Charlie?"

"Um...I...Well..." Charlie laughed somewhat nervously "I wasn't thinking what you think I was thinking"

"Yeah you were" Joey giggled as Charlie blushed brightly.

"Yeah...well...Okay so I was thinking about that" Charlie confessed smiling at her girlfriend.

Joey shook her head in amusement "You need to rest Charlz" with that pulled back the covers and gazed expectantly at Charlie who slid into the bed once again trying to retrieve warmth.

"But I'm not tired!" Charlie protested.

Joey rolled her eyes "You don't need to sleep...You just need to be comfortable...And I can tell that you're cold"

Charlie looked slightly surprised "How did you know that?"

Joey winked mysteriously "I have many talents"

"You're gonna stay with me aren't you?" Charlie asked.

"Of course!" Joey exclaimed "Where Else would I possibly want to be?"

Charlie shrugged waiting for Joey to join her in the bed. Joey did so after a moment and huddled closer to Charlie under the covers. They looked up suddenly at a soft knock on the door.

"Are you guys decent?" Ruby called from behind it "I kind of have my hands full so I can't cover my eyes right now..."

"You can come in Ruby" Joey called out as she shuffled away from Charlie.

Charlie pushed herself up in the bed just as Ruby managed to open the door with her elbow and kick it fully open with her foot. She entered with two steaming cups in her hand and walked over to the edge of the bed.

"I made you guys some of my Famous hot chocolate" she smiled at them "Extra marshmallows and extra chocolate sprinkles" she handed them both a cup and blew on her slightly overheated hands.

"Thanks Rubz" Joey and Charlie smiled in unison.

"God this is good!" Joey exclaimed as she took a tentative sip of the hot liquid.

"Ruby's secret recipe" Charlie grinned as she set her cup on the nightstand "It's amazing... almost worth being sick just so she'll make them"

Ruby shrugged and grinned at Charlie mischievously.

"Don't even think about it..." Charlie warned in a low tone.

Joey looked between Charlie and Ruby in confusion "Wha..."

"Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose..."

Joey burst out laughing as Ruby began to sing and Charlie pouted.

"Ruuuuuby!" Charlie whined. She turned to Joey who was still laughing and slapped her arm lightly "Joey!"

"Ow!" Joey's laughter subsided slightly and she reached up to rub her arm "Sorry...It was funny!"

"Sorry" Ruby grinned as she sat on the edge of the bed "I shouldn't be teasing you...Especially since it's my fault that you're sick"

"You're right" Charlie agreed though a warm smile lit up her features "You shouldn't be"

"Thanks again for that" Ruby smiled "You didn't have to jump in after me..."

"I did" Charlie stated adamantly.

"No...I mean nobody forced you to" Ruby shrugged "But you did it anyway even though you were terrified about the boat and stuff..."

"Anytime" Charlie smiled.

Ruby leaned forward and hugged her tightly before pulling away and standing up "Well you guys can just relax okay? I'll make dinner tonight"

"You don't have to..." Joey began to say before the teenager interrupted them.

"I know...Bu I _want to_"

"Okay..." Joey nodded slowly "Thanks Rubz"

Ruby smiled brightly at them before she turned and walked out of the room.

"Sooo..." Joey drawled "What should we do?"

"I know!" Charlie grinned as she turned slightly to face Joey.

"I'm either not going to like this or I'm going to like it too much..." Joey bit her lip nervously "Is it um...Pg-13?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "I was thinking that since there's still loads of stuff I don't remember about you we could like....Ask questions but we have to answer truthfully"

"Hmmn...Okay" Joey smiled softly "I'm in"

"So favourite things and not so favourite things?"

"Okay" Joey nodded slowly

"You get to ask the first question" Charlie spoke.

"Uh...Favourite colour? I figured we should start simple..."

"Red" Charlie answered instantly.

"Really? Why?"

"You look amazing in red. I remember you wore it once before I figured out that I was in love with you and...Wow."

"Didn't know you checked me out that much" Joey grinned happily.

"Yup..." Charlie nodded "What about you? Favourite colour?"

"Blue"

"Any particular shade of blue?"

"No..." Joey shook her head "It depends on the mood"

"Huh" Charlie nodded thoughtfully "I think I can see how your mood might change your preference"

"Not _my _mood" Joey corrected quietly "Your mood"

"Huh? Mine?"

"Your eyes" Joey raised a hand to Charlie's cheek "They change colour with your mood. They're navy blue when you wake up. When you're with Ruby they're sky blue when you're with me they're my favourite colour of all...Almost green. Like an ocean colour but they have tiny specks of gold in them, that you wouldn't be able to see unless you looked really closely"

"And now?" Charlie whispered taking Joey's hand in her own.

"Stunning"

Charlie ducked her head slightly to conceal the blush on her cheeks. She smiled when she felt Joy place a soft kiss on her hand and looked up at her again "My turn?"

Joey nodded.

"Favourite movie?"

"Wow Uh..." Joey bit her lips and thought hard "Girl interrupted...What about you?"

"Angeline Jolie?" Charlie smiled knowingly before answering "Pay it forward"

"Serious movie..." Joey said in surprise.

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed in mock offence "I can do serious!"

"I just mean...It's so sad!" Joey responded.

"Have you watched it?"

Joey nodded "I was crying like a baby by the end"

"Me too" Charlie nodded thoughtfully "That's why I like it...It makes you think and reconsider your own actions"

"I guess you're right..."

"So..." Joey interrupted the silence that had settled between them "Kisses or m&m's?"

"Wow you get right to the important stuff..." Joey bit her lip "Chocolate preferences..."

"You have a good shot at getting it right" Charlie pointed out "there are only two answers"

"Umm...I prefer to kiss you?" Joey attempted.

"Nice try...Wrong answer"

"I think..." Joey smiled "If I had a choice I would give you all of the chocolate I have. So your preference is all that matters..."

"That's sweet" Charlie smiled "I prefer your answer to the other two"

"Worst date?" Joey asked.

"Hugo" Charlie responded instantly "Without a doubt. I can't believe I remember that stupid date but don't remember you..."

"What was wrong with it?"

"He's a prick" Charlie stated quietly "And he wasn't you...You were all I talked about all night..."

"I was?" Joey smiled happily.

"You were" Charlie nodded seriously "So...Yours?"

"I was about seventeen" Joey responded "I was at a theme park with this girl and my Dad showed up screaming about how it was wrong to be gay and that I was just doing it to piss him off"

"I'm sorry" Charlie whispered, pulling Joey slightly closer to her.

"Its okay" Joey smiled at her "You had nothing to do with it...Just carp from my past. That's all"

"Still...You shouldn't have had to put up with it..." Charlie said quietly "You're amazing Joey and you didn't deserve any of that crap from him or your brother. I love you so much"

"I love you too" Both girls leaned slowly forward.

"JOEY!" Ruby yelled from the kitchen "CHARLIE! DINNER!"

"Crap..." Joey muttered leaning her forehead against Charlie's.

"Saved by the yell" Charlie smiled as she stood up and held a hand out to Joey "I'm sick remember? The kissing ban is still in place"

Joey sighed but took Charlie's hand and allowed herself to be pulled from the room.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Hey" Joey grinned as she entered the bedroom and noticed Charlie hurriedly pulling on a t-shirt "Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"

"Joey!" Charlie exclaimed brightly. She moved forward quickly and grabbed Joey in a tight hug "I was just coming to look for you!"

"You were?" Joey smiled as she pulled away from the happy embrace "Why?"

"I just missed you" the older girl shrugged "Do I need a reason?"

"No" Joey took Charlie's hand and led her back to the bed sitting her down gently "How do you feel today?" she placed a hand on the other girls forehead in an attempt to gage her temperature and nodded thoughtfully "You're still kind of warm..."

"I'm fine!" Charlie caught Joey's hand in her own and lowered it between them "I feel way better now"

"Does that mean I get to kiss you now?" Joey grinned mischievously "Because I really, really want to..."

"I don't know..." Charlie smiled teasingly "I am still 'kind of warm' so maybe we should leave the ban in place for now..."

"But...You said that you're better now"

"I don't want to make you ill" Charlie shrugged attempting to keep a straight face.

"I'll be fine" Joey shifted slightly closer to Charlie "Now can I pllleeeeaaasee kiss you?"

"Hmmn..." Charlie bit her lip in mock concentration for a moment "I don't know...I might not be 100% bet...Mmmph!" she was cut off when Joey ducked her head and caught her lips in a deep kiss. Despite her surprise she instinctively raised her hands and placed them on Joey's cheeks, leaning even closer to her.

"Wow" she gasped breathlessly when they eventually pulled away "You really were desperate to kiss me"

"I was" Joey nodded in agreement "I hate not being able to kiss you"

"Hey" Charlie smiled softly as she took Joey's hands in her own and shuffled close to her "Do ya wanna know a secret?"

"Okay..." Joey nodded unsurely and narrowed her eyes questioningly at Charlie "What is it?"

"The last four days..." Charlie pressed a quick kiss to Joey's lips "Have been absolutely killing me"

"Really?" Joey asked shyly.

"Really" Charlie nodded. She climbed fully onto the bed and pulled Joey into her arms, dropping a gentle kiss on her head "Thanks for looking after me for the past few days Jo..."

"It's not a big deal" Joey responded in a hushed voice "There's nowhere else I would rather have been than here with you..."

Charlie gripped Joey's hand tighter in her own and nodded silently.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

Joey hesitated for a moment before speaking "I just wanted you to know that you make me really happy. Happier than I've ever been before actually"

"Good" Charlie smiled down at her girlfriend "Because I want to spend every second making you happy. I love you Joey Collins"

"I love you too Charlie Buckton" Joey grinned happily before Charlie leaned down and kissed her slowly.

---

Joey walked slowly out of the diner humming happily to herself. She found herself unable to wipe the ecstatic grin on her face and highly doubted anything else would.

"Joey" a voice slurred from behind her as she turned the corner.

Joey spun round and found her earlier presumption proven wrong in a split second when she saw Brett hovering behind her with a beer bottle securely in her hand.

"Brett..." she spoke softly "When did you get back? I thought you had taken off..."

"I came back for you" Brett stumbled closer to her and Joey dodged out of the way of his attempt to grab her.

"I can't leave Brett" she stated firmly "My life is here in summer bay..." a soft smile tugged at her lips when she thought of the love of her life.

"Yeah" Brett rolled his eyes at her "I noticed that a few days ago..." he took a casual sip of the beer in his hand before he continued "Saw you walking somewhere with that girl and her sister...Nice little family you have there"

"They _are_ my family" Joey said quietly. She narrowed her eyes at the beer bottle in her brother's hand "Why are you drinking in the middle of the day?"

"Because I felt like it" the man replied simply. He took a final sip of the beer before setting it on the ground "You have to come back with me Joey...We can start a new life. I'll get a job and..."

"Another new life?" Joey questioned sceptically "I don't need on this time...I have all I need right here in summer bay"

"You're not GAY Jo!" Brett said obstinately "You're just doing this to annoy me or...I don't know but you're not _gay! It's Sick!"_

"Leave me alone..." Joey murmured. She turned to walk away but Brett caught her arm in a tight grip.

"Wait...We need to talk!"

"Ow!" Joey struggled against her brother's unbelievably tight grip on her upper arm "Let go Brett...You're hurting me!"

Brett merely tightened his grip on her arm causing her to wince in pain "They're not your family Joey! I'm your family"

"They care about me!" Joey insisted weakly "Which is more than I can say for you!"

"What are you talking about?!" Brett scowled angrily "They don't care about you Jo! The Cop...She's taking advantage of you with this stupid Gay thing!"

"Her name's Charlie!" Joey stated still struggling valiantly against his grip "And she loves me!"

"She doesn't!" the man insisted firmly "She couldn't Jo...What would somebody like her see in somebody like you?!" Joey stilled in his grip and Brett smirked knowing he had hit a nerve "She's just playing you Jo!"

"She loves me..." the girl insisted weakly "I know she loves me!"

"She doesn't!" Brett argued drunkenly "She couldn't love you Joey, you know that and you know why!"

"Shut up..."

"What would Dad say if he could see you now?!" Brett shook his head sadly "He would be so disappointed Jo...It wasn't supposed to be like this...This Gay thing...It's ridiculous!"

"She loves me" Joey repeated again.

Brett sighed heavily "Just come home Joey. You're better off with me than them...I actually care about you. They don't"

"They do" Joey pulled against his tight grip as tears formed in her eyes "You're the one who doesn't care Brett...You've never cared about me. You only care about what I should be...Let me GO!"

"Didn't she cheat on you?!" Brett questioned maliciously "Doesn't that prove that she didn't love you and that you weren't good enough for her...I don't know why you put yourself through this Jo...You'll only end up getting hurt!"

"Let go..." Joey said quietly.

"I guess Dad was right about you..." Brett sneered "You are a waste of space...I was only trying to help but you through it back in my face!"

"Dad's dead!" Joey said loudly as she continued to struggle against him "And you're just like him...Neither of you cared about anyone but yourselves. You're just narrow minded bigots..." Joey was cut off when Brett raised a hand and slapped her hard, sending her flying to the ground.

"HEY!" two voices sounded at the same time. After a moment Joey looked up to see Ruby and Aiden rushing towards her. Aiden rushed pat her and push Brett roughly away from her while Ruby knelt down at her side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Aiden yelled angrily at the man now on the floor "why don't you pick on somebody your own size you weasel?"

"Joey" Ruby waved a hand in front of Joey's face drawing the older girl's attention towards her "Are you okay?" she winced at the angry looking mark on Joey's cheek which had already began to bruise "that looks sore..."

"I'm okay" Joey murmured weakly as she attempted to push herself off the ground. Ruby helped the obviously shaken girl up.

"Aiden..." Joey said quietly causing the man to glance at her "Just leave him alone...its fine"

"But he just..."

"It's okay" Joey shrugged "Don't worry about it"

Aiden turned his gaze back to Brett who was still on the ground "Get the hell out of here!"

Brett scrambled to his feet and rushed away from the friend's.

"Are you okay Joey?" Aiden moved closer and frowned at the bruise on Joey's right cheek "You shouldn't have let him go...What a bastard"

"It's okay Aid" Joey patted him gently on the cheek "I'll be fine...Don't worry about it"

"Can you guys get home okay?" the man asked in concern "I really should be getting back to Belle but..."

"We'll be fine" Ruby nodded "Right Jo?"

Joey nodded silently and offered Aiden a weak smile "Go...Get back to your girl"

"Okay" Aiden pulled Joey into a brief hug "Let me know if he bothers you anymore and I'll sort him out for you, okay?"

"Okay" Joey nodded. She watched him leave thoughtfully before she glanced at Ruby "You don't have to walk me home..."

"I want to" Ruby stated firmly as she tugged Joey gently forward "C'mon..."

---

"Joey?" Ruby watched in concern as Joey walked numbly towards her bedroom. The older girl looked somewhat sad and defeated.

"Yeah?" Joey blinked rapidly against the tears forming in her eyes.

"Do you want me to call Charlie for you?" the teenager asked unsurely "I'm sure she won't be far away..."

Joey shrugged before her shoulders slumped once again in defeat "I don't want to bother her" she turned and walked away leaving Ruby gazing after her in worry.

Ruby moved over to the phone and picked it up dialling a familiar number. She almost sighed in relief when the phone was picked up "Charlie?"

"Hey Rubz!" Charlie responded brightly "what's up?"

"Where are you?" Ruby questioned quickly "Right now, I mean?"

"I'm at the station" Charlie answered in concern "Is something wrong?"

"We need you to come home" the teenager answered "its Joey...She needs you"

"What's wrong with her?! Is she hurt?"

"No...I mean yes" Ruby sighed irritably "Charlie you just need to get her as soon as you can, okay?"

"What do you mean 'Yes'?!" Charlie asked her concern turning into full on fear "Wait...Never mind. I'll be there soon" she hung up quickly.

Ruby sat down on the couch and waited worriedly for Charlie. The older girl rushed through the door five minutes later breathless and worried.

"What happened?!" she questioned as Ruby stood up "Where's Joey? You said she was hurt..."

"She ran into Brett" Ruby responded quietly "He hit her and she's been really weird since then...It kind of looked like she was going to cry when we got back home"

Charlie inhaled deeply, anger flooding through her at the thought of somebody hurting Joey "I have to go to her..."

"In your bedroom" Ruby pointed in the general direction of Charlie and Joey's bedroom and watched Charlie rush in that direction.

"Joey?" Charlie opened the door slowly and stepped inside of the bedroom warily. She sighed when her gaze fell on Joey sitting on the bed, her knees pulled securely against her chest.

The younger girl looked up when Charlie entered and offered her a weak smile "Hey"

"Hey" Charlie whispered. She moved over to sit next to Joey on the bed and frowned when she spotted the angry looking bruise on Joey's cheek. She raised a hand and caressed it gently "That looks painful..."

Joey nodded as tears formed in her eyes "It does kind of hurt...a lot"

"What did he want?" Charlie moved closer to Joey and wrapped her up in her arms as gently as she could.

"He told me that I had to go with him so we could start a new life somewhere else" Joey sniffled as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Oh" Charlie frowned and placed a soft kiss on Joey's forehead, feeling fear shoot through her at the very thought of Joey leaving her.

"You love me, right?" Joey questioned insecurely "I mean you _really_ love me..."

"Of course I do!" Charlie drew back to look down at Joey with a pained look on her face "what the hell has he been saying to you Jo?"

Joey shrugged tearfully "He told me that I wasn't good enough for you...That you could never love somebody like me. He said that I'm sick and I'm a waste of space and that you were only using me!"

"Hey, It's okay" Charlie tightened her embrace around the other girl as she dissolved into quiet sobs and felt tears burn in her own eyes "You know that I love you Jo. Don't listen to anything he says, okay?" she felt burning hate rise up in her at the effect Brett's words had on Joey's confidence but she pushed it back down in order to comfort her girlfriend "Joey, Honey listen to me Okay?" she pulled away to look into Joey's eyes "I love you Joey! I'm _in _love with you and you can't listen to a word he says okay? He doesn't know us. He's just making stupid narrow minded assumptions"

"Okay" Joey said shakily although she didn't appear entirely convinced.

Charlie leaned forward and kissed the younger girl softly. She allowed her lips to linger for a moment before she pulled away "Seriously Joey, If what I feel for you isn't Love I don't know what the hell is...All I know is that I couldn't stand not having you in my life. I want to...I want to...."

"What?" Joey asked quietly.

Charlie looked up into Joey's soothing dark eyes "I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy Joey"

"Really?" Joey smiled tearfully.

"Really" Charlie confirmed without hesitation "I love you so much Jo...Don't let anyone tell you otherwise"

"I love you too..."

Charlie pulled Joey into a tight hug but pulled back almost instantly at her wince "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Joey rubbed at her upper arm "Don't worry about it..."

Charlie moved Joey's hand gently from her arm and lifted the sleeve up. She gritted her teeth in anger when she saw five dark bruises obviously the imprints of somebody's hand on Joey's arm "Did he do this?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "He was holding on really tightly..."

"I'm going to kill him" Charlie spoke in a low tone of voice "I swear to God I'm going to..."

"Charlie..." Joey reached up and caught Charlie's hands In her own "It's okay..."

"It's not okay!" Charlie stated firmly "I hate that he can just show up and hit you and make you feel like CRAP! He has no right!"

"Yeah..." Joey turned her gaze downwards "He was always good at doing that. I don't know...It's like he makes me feel so insecure when he says all of this stuff about me that I almost believe him. He and my Dad could always seem to find things that will really hurt me..."

"Well they're idiots!" Charlie said quietly as she moved over to Joey and wrapped an arm around her "I don't know any sane person who would want to hurt you"

Joey shrugged "I don't know...Maybe they're right about some of the things they say"

"What?!" Charlie looked at her in surprise "No! They're not right about anything Joey. Don't listen to them..."

"Sorry" Joey mumbled quietly "Brett always seems to do this to me...Makes me doubt everything in my life including my own self worth"

"Don't let it" Charlie whispered "You're worth _everything_ Joey...Got it?"

"Got it" Joey nodded slowly. She leaned her head on Charlie's shoulder and closed her eyes, trying to rid herself of all of the doubts that had resurfaced.

---

"You okay?" Charlie asked quietly as she walked hand in hand with Joey to the diner. Ruby had suggested that they had a girl's night in to cheer Joey up and for that they needed food.

"I'm kind of nervous" Joey admitted quietly "Plus I have a huge bruise on my cheek. I must look a right mess"

"Hey" Charlie stopped and turned to Joey "You look beautiful" she kissed the other girl passionately and pulled her close "As for nervous Brett wouldn't dare..."

"Joey!"

Charlie spun around and gaped at the man in front of them "You..." she stepped protectively in front of Joey and glared at him angrily "Back off"

"Why don't you back off?!" Brett snarled "She's my sister and If you hadn't filled her head with all these stupid lies about how you 'love her' there wouldn't be a problem!"

"I do love her" Charlie reached behind her and gripped Joey's hand tightly "Not that it has anything to do with you"

"Can't you see that she's lying Joey?!" Brett exclaimed "She could never love somebody like y..."

Charlie moved forward quickly and grabbed Brett's collar, slamming him forcefully back into the wall "Shut the hell up!"

"CHARLIE!" Joey exclaimed rushing to her side "Stop it!"

"I could have you for assault" Brett smirked.

"Does it look like I give a shit?!" Charlie growled angrily "You think you can just come back and treat Joey like Crap? That you can tell her that she isn't good enough?!" she tightened her grip on the man's collar causing him to inhaled deeply at the restriction of air "Like hell you can! And I haven't even gotten started about you hitting her yet..."

"Charlie, please let go!" Joey pleaded at her side as Brett gasped for air "You're going to hurt him..."

"If you touch her again..." Charlie said in a low dangerous voice "I swear to God I will hunt you down and kill you myself, got it?"

"Charlie..." Joey tugged at Charlie's wrist trying to pull her away from the man. She gazed at the other girl in wide eyed fear. She had never seen Charlie this furious before.

"I mean it!" Charlie growled before she pulled away and glared at him furiously. She grasped Joey's hand in her own but kept her gaze on Brett "You're pathetic..." she walked away pulling Joey along with her and only stopped when they were a short distance away.

"Charlie?" Joey questioned softly.

"I'm so sorry Joey..." Charlie muttered shakily "I know he's your brother and I really shouldn't have done that but I was just...I was so furious at him for hurting you and I just lashed out..."

Joey silenced her with a quick kiss "It's okay...Just promise me you won't do it again, okay? You really scared me..."

"I promise" Charlie smiled softly. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Joey, kissing her gently.

---

"Are you both quite comfortable?" Charlie smiled at Ruby and Joey. Joey had snuggled up against her side on the couch while Ruby had sprawled out on the remainder of the couch with her head on Charlie's lap and feet dangling over the edge.

"Very" they both said in response.

"Everyone set?" Ruby questioned. She waited for two affirmative responses before pressing play on the remote in her hand.

"What are we watching?" Joey questioned curiously.

Charlie shrugged.

"The strangers" Ruby responded slowly.

"Ruuuuby!" Charlie whined "Why do you always choose scary movies?"

"Why do you always choose Rom-Coms?" Ruby countered with a raised eyebrow "Anyway...Joey said we should watch a scary movie"

Charlie turned to Joey and narrowed her eyes at her.

"_What?"_ Joey mouthed innocently.

Charlie shook her head in amusement and turned her attention back to the movie. They sat in silence apart from the occasional jump from Charlie.

"Well" Ruby stood up and stretched when the movie was finished "That was fun...Don't you guys think that was fun?"

"I thought the movie was good" Joey offered with a smile.

"I didn't" Charlie murmured darkly "It was scary!"

"And she calls herself a cop" Ruby rolled her eyes with a smile "Well I should be heading to bed...see you guys in the morning" she dropped a kiss on their heads before turning to walk away.

"Ruby?" Joey spoke up stopping her from leaving.

"Yeah?" Ruby turned around and looked at Joey expectantly.

"I feel better" Joey smiled warmly at the teenager "Thanks"

"Anytime" Ruby beamed before she turned and moved to her bedroom.

"Do you really feel better?" Charlie asked quietly "Or were you just trying to stop Ruby from worrying..."

"I do feel better" Joey nodded slowly "I'm just kind of sad that Brett can't accept me for who I am..."

"You don't need him Jo" Charlie said as she turned slightly and wrapped both her arms around Joey "As Dysfunctional as our family is, it's still a family"

"I know" Joey smiled at her "I don't know what I would do without you two..."

Charlie leaned forward and kissed Joey quickly "It's a good thing you don't have to find out..."

"Yeah..."

"Hey" Charlie said suddenly "Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow? Like, on a date? I was thinking about it today..." she placed a slightly longer kiss on Joey's lips.

"Of course!" Joey smiled brightly between kisses "Anything to spend time with you...But you know what I want right now?"

"What?" Charlie smiled.

"I really want you to..." Joey kissed Charlie passionately "Make love to me"

"I like the way you think" Charlie pulled Joey up off the couch and into her arms kissing her deeply "I love you Jo..."

"I love you too..." Joey smiled softly as Charlie pulled her towards the bedroom.

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Okay..." Charlie mumbled quietly "Just calm down Charlie...Breathe..." she took a deep breath and released it shakily before turning her gaze back to the mirror in front of her. She was wearing a knee length white dress, her hair held up with two tendrils hanging at either side of her face "Okay...I can do this..."

A knock at the door caused her to jump in surprise "Uh...Who is it?"

"It's just me" Ruby responded quietly from behind the door "Are you okay Charlie? You've been in the bathroom for almost an hour and a half"

"I'm fine...Sort of"

"Can I come in?" Ruby questioned in concern at the nervousness in the other girls' voice "I don't think I believe you..."

Charlie walked over to the door and unlocked it with a soft click before moving back to allow Ruby to open it.

The door opened and Ruby walked in, shutting the door behind her. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Charlie "Wow, you're sure out to impress aren't you? You look great Charlz"

"Thanks" Charlie replied softly as she sat on the edge of the bathtub, wringing her hands nervously in front of her.

"What's wrong?" Ruby frowned as she observed her "You seem like you're freaking out"

"I am"

"Right...Why?" Ruby asked in confusion "You're not nervous about the date are you? Because you've done this loads of times with Joey..."

"I'm not nervous about the date" Charlie corrected. She leaned forward and placed her head in her hands "It's something else"

"More secrets?" Ruby questioned anxiously "I thought we had gotten past all of that stuff"

"Not secrets" Charlie sighed. She looked up at Ruby thoughtfully "You know that I love Joey, right? I've never loved anyone like I love her Rubz..." her eyes became unfocused and she smiled dreamily "She makes me feel so much that I never thought I_ could_ feel. She makes me so happy..."

Ruby appeared baffled "But? There is a but right? You guys aren't breaking up, are you?"

"Check my jacket pocket" Charlie said hesitantly motioning towards her jacket which lay on the ground next to Ruby.

"Uh...Okay" though confused at first the teenager picked Charlie's black leather jacket up from the floor and began rifling through the pockets. Charlie watched her apprehensively.

Ruby frowned thoughtfully as her hand came into contact with a small box. She pulled it out and stared at it for a moment. She opened it and released a gasp as her eyes settled on the diamond ring inside "Oh my God...You're going to ask Joey to..."

"Yeah" Charlie nodded slowly "I know that it may seem a bit fast and all but..."

"That's great!" Ruby rushed towards Charlie and engulfed her in a huge hug.

"It is?" Charlie asked as she returned the hug tentatively "You don't think I'm going too fast? You're not going to make U-haul jokes?"

"No" Ruby pulled back to look at the older girl and grinned teasingly at her sigh of relief "Toaster ovens however are a whole different story..."

"What?"

"Y'know" Ruby said clearly "Joey gets a toaster oven because she 'recruited you'" when Charlie continued to gaze at her blankly she sighed and shook "Never mind Charlie...Check it on the internet"

"Erm...Right" Charlie said quietly "So anyway...Back to the issue at hand"

"What's the issue?" Ruby sat on the bathtub next to Charlie and gave her, her undivided attention.

"What if she says no?" Charlie fretted "What if she thinks it's too soon?"

"I highly doubt that she'll say no" Ruby smiled wrapping an arm around Charlie's shoulders "She loves you. Like...Really loves you!"

"I know" Charlie smiled to herself "I know she does but I'm still not sure that she'll say yes. She's been feeling really insecure since she ran into Brett yesterday..."

"There's no way Joey will say no to you" Ruby grinned as she stood up "Especially not if you're wearing that. I'd say Joey will be struck utterly speechless"

"Thanks" Charlie blushed brightly at the teenagers compliment and glanced down at herself self-consciously.

"C'mon" Ruby held a hand out to Charlie who took it and allowed herself to be pulled up from the edge of the bathtub "Joey will be here soo..."

"Charlie?!" Joey's voice sounded from the living room "Ruby?!"

"Told ya" Ruby grinned at Charlie's slightly panicked expression and squeezed her hand comfortingly "Calm down Charlie...It'll be fine. Are you coming?" she motioned towards the door.

Charlie shook her head "I need to get ready"

"Aren't you already ready?"

"No. I'm still a bit of a mess"

"Okay" Ruby shook her head in amusement at the older girl "I'll go and keep Joey entertained" she turned around and walked toward the door.

"Ruby?"

Ruby turned around at the sound of Charlie's voice "Yeah?"

"Don't say anything to Joey, Okay?" Charlie said imploringly "And no dropping hints either...I know what you're like at keeping secrets"

Ruby rolled her eyes "I'm not entirely stupid. I can keep secrets if I want to!" she walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and walked into the living room where Joey was sitting on the couch.

"Hey Jo" she greeted as she sat across from her.

"Hey" Joey smiled softly at the teen "Is Charlie ready yet?"

"Still getting ready" Ruby answered "You know what Charlie's like...Takes hours. You look great by the way"

"Thanks" Joey glanced down at her pale blue dress self-consciously.

"Hey, Joey?"

"Mmmhmn?" Joey looked back up at Ruby.

"Are you okay?" Ruby leaned forward slightly in the chair "I mean after what happened yesterday...Are you feeling better?"

"A little bit" Joey answered honestly "Charlie's been amazing...She's really helping. I honestly don't know what I would do without her"

Ruby gazed at her with a knowing grin.

"What?" Joey narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Ruby's grin.

"Nothing" Ruby forced herself to sober up and attempted to change the subject "Just a heads up...I think your jaws gonna like hit the floor when you see Charlie"

"Doesn't it always?" Joey smiled dreamily.

The sound of a door opening caught their attention and Joey stood up as Charlie entered the room. She gaped at her speechlessly for a moment "Wow..."

"Hey" Charlie smiled softly "You look...Amazing"

Joey didn't often wear dresses but when she did (And even when she didn't) Charlie always found herself stunned by her beauty.

Joey moved over to her and took her took her hand, gently entwining their fingers "Thanks. You look...Absolutely stunningly beautiful"

Charlie shrugged and blushed "Thanks" she cleared her throat and glanced away from Joey's intense gaze towards where Ruby sat on the couch "So we're going to head off now..." she pulled her hand from Joey's and moved towards the teenager. She leaned down and placed a kiss on her head "Don't stay up too late Rubz"

"Good Luck" Ruby whispered inconspicuously. She glanced at Joey "Keep her out of trouble, Okay Ruby?"

"Will do" Joey nodded as Charlie took her hand and pulled her towards the door "'See you later Rubz"

"See ya" Ruby's response sounded faintly.

"So..." Joey smiled at Charlie as they walked towards the car "Where are you taking me?"

"That's a surprise" Charlie grinned as she opened Joey's door for her.

"Thank you" Joey released her hand and got in the car. Charlie closed the door and moved quickly around the car to climb into the driver's side. She glanced at Joey as she put her seatbelt on and started the ignition.

"Can't you just give me a clue?" Joey asked suddenly "Just a little clue..."

"No" Charlie answered "It's a surprise...Oh and put your seatbelt on"

"Oooh Bossy aren't we?" Joey grinned.

"You got it" Charlie reached across and squeezed Joey's hand gently.

---

"Are you sure..."

"I'm sure" Charlie smiled affectionately at Joey "It's my intention to wine and dine you tonight miss Collins and that is exactly what I'm going to do, Okay?"

"But..."

"As I've said ten times already" Charlie reached over the table and tangled her fingers with Joey's "I _can _afford it and you are so completely worth it"

"Okay" Joey smiled happily "If you're sure..."

"I'm _very_ sure"

"You do look _really_ amazing tonight by the way" Joey said softly.

"I'm glad you think so..." Charlie offered Joey a lopsided grin.

"Oh I know so..." Joey said huskily.

They were interrupted a moment later by the waiter walking over to them and asking them what kind of wine they wanted.

"The best" Charlie answered immediately her eyes never leaving Joey's.

"Wow" Joey said as the waiter walked away "You sure seem to be in the mood for splashing out tonight...Any special occasion I should be aware of?"

"Nope" Charlie smiled "Not yet..."

---

"Sooo..." Charlie said as they walked down the beach hand in hand "Was tonight okay?" The date had gone great but so far, Charlie hadn't gathered the courage to ask the question.

_Damn it_ she thought to herself frutratedly _How hard could it possible be to say I love you Joey, Will you Marry me?!_

"Are you kidding?" Joey grinned "Tonight was amazing" she stopped and pulled Charlie into her arms kissing her soundly "Thank you...For being so wonderful"

"Joey..." Charlie started softly feeling her courage returning to her at the safe feeling of being in Joey's arms.

"Uh-huh?"

"I've been searching for the right words to ask you all night...I've been planning this for a while but I realised I have no idea how to ask you"

"Ask me?" Joey repeated in confusion "Ask me what?"

"Joey I love you"

"I know" Joey smiled "I love you too Babe"

"I know this isn't a very conventional way of doing this" Charlie started unsurely "But to hell with it...What about our relationship _is_ conventional?"

"I'm lost" Joey stated in bewilderment.

"Okay" Charlie took a deep breath and focused on Joey "I highly doubt I'm going to be able to get on my knees with this dress on but I'm going to give it a go..." Charlie dropped to her knees in front of Joey and pulled a square box out of her pocket without releasing her grip on Joey's hand.

Joey gazed at her in shock.

"Jo...All my life I've wanted to meet the right person and fall in love, wondered how it would feel to love someone and know that they love me just as much...but I've always seemed to shut myself off from people who try to get close to me. Then I met you and you changed that. You wouldn't let me push you away. You fought for me. You came back to me and above all else you loved me even when I probably didn't deserve it. I stopped wondering how it would feel when I met you Joey because I _had _that feeling. And now...I've realised that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to go to sleep with you next to me every night and I want to wake up next to you every morning so... What I'm trying to ask you is...Will you marry me Joey Collins?"

Joey tearfully dropped to the ground with Charlie and wrapped her arms around her tightly "Of course I'll marry you!"

Charlie pulled back from the embrace long enough to slip the ring onto Joey's finger before she pulled her into a deep kiss.

"I love you so much Jo..." she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too" Joey beamed tearfully.

---

The slam of the bedroom door opening against the wall echoed throughout the house but neither Joey nor Charlie could bring themselves to care as their lips were locked in a passionate kiss as they stumbled backwards into the dark room. Joey kicked the door shut behind them and leaned back against it as she slid Charlie's jacket from her shoulder.

"As amazing as you look in this dress..." she said huskily "I've been dying to get you out of it all night..."

"Joey..." Charlie panted softly as Joey reached around her back and unzipped her dress excruciatingly slowly.

"Shhh" Joey soothed gently as she pushed Charlie backwards onto the bed "Relax..." she moved forward and kissed the other girl slowly allowing her tongue to sweep briefly against the older girls lips. Charlie immediately parted her lips and when Joey's tongue met her own shockwaves cascaded through both of them. Her hand trailed down Charlie's chest to her breasts her thumbs brushing lightly against the nipples which strained against the fabric of the dress.

Charlie immediately arched into the younger girls touch and released a soft moan "Jo..."

Joey gently removed the dress from Charlie and kissed her gently as her hand moved down the soft skin of her side to her centre.

----

"Hey" Charlie beamed happily as Ruby walked into the kitchen.

Ruby grunted tiredly in reply and sunk down into the chair at the table. She looked up at Charlie and Joey through half lidded eyes, taking in their ecstatic appearance. Charlie had her arms wrapped tightly around Joey from behind "Last night go well?"

"Yep" Joey grinned "Guess what?"

"What?" Ruby smiled at them. She swiped a hand across her eyes and sat up giving them her full attention.

"We're getting married!"

"Am I supposed to act surprised?" Ruby asked her eyes focusing on Charlie.

"Huh?" Joey questioned.

"She already knew" Charlie placed a kiss on Joey's shoulder "I was freaking out last night and she talked me down"

"Told you she would say yes!" Ruby stated smugly "When am I ever wrong?" she stood up and hugged both girls tightly "I'm happy for you guys. Really happy"

"Thanks Rubz" Joey smiled at the teenager.

"Hey, Joey?" Charlie shifted slightly to look at her girlfriend curiously.

"Yeah, Babe?" Joey responded.

"What's the thing with the toaster oven?"

Ruby burst into giggles and slumped down onto the nearest seat. Joey joined her a moment later in her laughter.

"What's so funny?" Charlie asked in bewilderment.

"Did Ruby tell you that?" Joey asked trying to hold back her laughter.

"Yeah..." Charlie nodded confusion clear in her eyes "I still don't get it..."

"Google it" Joey giggled at Charlie's confusion.

"You made fun of me the last time I Googled something" Charlie pointed, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"But" Joey stated as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around Charlie's waist "That turned out to be a very good use of your time" she leaned forward and kissed Charlie softly "Speaking of which..."

"Get a room" Ruby rolled her eyes at them.

"That's exactly what I was going to say!" Joey exclaimed as she grabbed Charlie's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and towards their bedroom "Thanks Rubz!"

Ruby gazed after them in shock before a smile formed on her lips.

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

**I'm **_**really**_** sorry that this chapter is a bit late but I couldn't seem to get it right and so I had to rewrite it. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews...I always really look forward to hearing your opinions x **

Chapter 31

"Boring, Boring, Boring" Ruby mumbled as she flicked blankly through the channels. She released a heavy sigh and threw the remote onto the couch next to her, settling on a re-run of friends. She looked up in surprise when she noticed Joey and Charlie entering the room through her peripheral vision.

"Hey" she smiled, happy that she wasn't alone anymore "I didn't think you guys were ever going to come out of that room."

"Figured we had to come out some time" Charlie shrugged as she sat next to Ruby on the couch, pulling Joey down with her.

"I was bored" Ruby commented "You guys have been in there _all day_!"

"It's only 2 o clock" Joey pointed out "So we haven't really been in there all day"

"Yeah, well..." Ruby huffed dramatically "It _felt_ like all day"

"We're sorry Rubz..." Charlie wrapped her arm lightly around the teen's shoulders "We didn't mean to take off...Right Joey?"

"Huh? Oh right...Yeah"

"Whatever" Ruby grinned at Joey's obvious distraction "So let me see the rock" she held her hand out to Joey expectantly.

Joey offered her hand to the teen with a smile.

Ruby whistled lowly as she gazed closely at the diamond in the ring "Wow...That must have cost you an arm and a leg"

Charlie shrugged "None of that really matters"

"Yeah..." Joey nodded in consideration "It must have cost you quite a bit Charlie. Are you sure...."

"Joey?" Charlie turned towards Joey and pressed a finger to the other girl's lips to stop her talking "Shut up...It doesn't matter what to Ring cost me. I already told you...You're _so_ worth it"

"But..."

Ruby glanced between the two girls and moved quietly out of the room, in an attempt to give them some privacy.

"Nope" Charlie interrupted again. She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Joey's lips "I don't want to hear any of that self deprecating stuff about how you're not worth it because I know that you are, okay? I love you Joey"

"I love you too" Joey smiled tearfully at her "I'm sorry I'm being so...I don't know...Critical of myself. I guess Brett really shook me up the other day"

"I'm sorry to say this since he's your brother" Charlie said quietly as she entwined her hand with Joey's in front of them "But he's a prick"

"I know" Joey laughed softly "He's just like Dad in that respect"

"You know..." Charlie snuggled close to Joey and wrapped her in a warm embrace "You say stuff like that...But you haven't really told me _anything_ about your past"

"Not a happy subject" Joey responded softly "I don't really think it's worth dwelling on..." when she noticed Charlie's sad frown she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips "But if you want to know, I will tell you...Someday. I promise"

"Okay" Charlie smiled at her. She glanced to her right and noticed the empty seat "Hey...Where did Ruby go?"

"I don't know" Joey frowned "I didn't even notice her leave...Did you?"

"No...C'mon" Charlie stood up and pulled Joey up from the couch "Maybe she's in the kitchen..." they entered the kitchen and sure enough spotted Ruby sitting at the table.

"Where did you disappear to?" Charlie asked releasing Joey's hand and sitting next to the younger girl.

"I noticed that you two needed some space" Ruby answered honestly "So I gave you some...Space that is"

"Thanks Rubz" Joey said as she ruffled the teens hair playfully "You're the best 'almost sister in law' ever"

Ruby grinned as she found her own words repeated back at her "Y'know technically I'm not your sister in law...If you're marrying Charlie that would make you my step-mo..."

"Whoa" Joey held up her hands "Slow down for a sec speedy...I never actually thought about that..."

"Second thoughts already?" Charlie smiled. Joey noticed however a nervousness in her eyes.

"Never" she said softly "My answer is still yes...That part of your life just takes a bit of getting used to that's all..."

Charlie nodded and glanced at her sister. It suddenly occurred to her that that was the first time Ruby had referred to her as something other than her sister.

"What?" Ruby asked as she noticed Charlie practically beaming at her with (What she assumed) were happy tears in her eyes.

"Nothing" Charlie looked away unable to wipe the smiled off her face "I was just thinking...That's all"

Joey moved over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled knowingly as Charlie looked up into her eyes.

A knock at the door caused all three girls to jump slightly.

"I should get that..." Charlie stood up and opened the door surprised to find her colleague standing in front of her.

"Hey Georgie" Charlie smiled somewhat quizzically at the other officer "What can I do for you? Aren't you supposed to be working, right now?"

"Can I come in for a minute?" Watson questioned quietly, trepidation colouring her tone.

"Sure" Charlie stepped back and allowed Watson to enter the house. She frowned as she noticed that her colleague didn't appear happy at all.

"I'm really sorry about this Charlie..."

"Sorry?" Charlie echoed in concern "Sorry about what?"

"I have to arrest you on suspicion of Battery and attempted assault as well as false imprisonment" Watson said slowly.

Charlie stood and stared at her speechlessly "Uh..."

"No!" Joey stated firmly as she pulled Charlie behind her and stood protectively in front of her "She didn't do anything..."

"That's not for me to decide" Watson responded "I have to arrest her. It's my job"

"What's going on?!" Ruby questioned from where she stood next to Charlie.

"Charlie I have to do this..."

"I didn't do anything!" Charlie said quietly "This isn't fair Watson!"

"I can't choose the rules..." Watson moved forward slightly but Joey refused to move and Ruby only grew more panicked, clutching tightly to Charlie's hand "Joey you have to move"

"No way!" Joey exclaimed adamantly "You can't arrest her...She hasn't done anything!"

"Charlie" Watson looked beyond Joey at Charlie "You have to come with me. It'll only be so much worse if you resist arrest" she motioned towards Joey and Ruby "You don't want them to have to see that, do you?"

"Fine" Charlie said quietly "I'll come with you...Just give me a minute" she turned to Joey and Ruby "I'm sure this is all just a stupid mistake..."

"It's Brett" Joey muttered angrily "It has to be..."

Charlie shrugged "Maybe" she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Joey's lips "It'll be fine" she glanced at Ruby who appeared to be fighting tears "Hey Rubz...What's wrong?"

"What's going on?!" Ruby asked in a small voice "What's Watson talking about Charlz?!"

"Don't worry about it" Charlie pulled the younger girl into a quick hug "I'll sort it out, okay Rubz?"

Ruby nodded unsurely and Charlie stepped away from them towards Watson "Are cuffs really necessary?"

"I'm sorry Charlie" Watson sighed sadly "You know its protocol with charges like these against you"

"What do you think she's going to do?!" Ruby questioned angrily "Attack somebody?!"

"Ruby..." Charlie turned towards the teenager and placed a hand on her arm "Calm down...It's okay. I'll be fine"

"It isn't okay!" Ruby stated furiously as she turned her gaze to Watson "Charlie isn't violent! She wouldn't do anything like that!"

"Joey..." Charlie looked up at Joey trustingly, an unspoken message drifting between them.

Joey nodded after a moment and stepped up next to Ruby "I will"

Charlie smiled quickly at her before turning back to her colleague and nodded stiffly "I'm ready"

"What...?" Ruby began as she watched Watson cuff her sister's hands behind her back "What are you doing? This is ridiculous!"

Charlie stopped and turned back around, fear settling on her features for the first time.

"Charlie..." Joey stepped forward slightly and gazed at her girlfriend in unadulterated fear "What should I do?"

Charlie gazed at her numbly and shook her head. Joey swallowed heavily as her mind drifted back to a scene similar to this...

"I'm sure It'll be fine" Charlie said unsurely "I love you guys"

She received an echo of "Love you too" from her girlfriend and her sister before she nodded at Watson and they began to move towards the door.

"We'll be right behind you" Joey called out. Charlie looked over her shoulder and flashed her grateful smile before she disappeared from sight.

"Joey?" Ruby questioned shakily "What's going on? What did Charlie do?"

"I'll explain when we get there" Joey squeezed the teens hand reassuringly.

---

"Charlie" Brett acknowledged with a grin when he saw her walk into the police station, with hand cuffs on "Quite a reverse position for a cop isn't it?"

"Shut up" Charlie stated trying to keep her cool "I'm innocent and I'm not going to give you what you want Brett"

"You pushed me into a wall!" Brett stated "Don't you know that's a crime? Any use of force on an unwilling person is Assault"

"You're pathetic"

"I'm doing what's best for my sister" Brett responded coldly "You lost it with me...How long until you do the same with her?"

Charlie tensed and inhaled deeply "I would never hurt Joey. Unlike you"

"Charlie, come on" Watson tugged lightly at her arm and lead her into an interview room.

"Can you take these off now?" Charlie questioned quietly.

"Sure" Watson removed the cuffs and Charlie sat down with a heavy sigh.

"So now what?" she asked.

"Brett Collins had pressed charges against you for assault Charlie" Watson said seriously "You have to tell me what happened"

"I pinned him to a wall" Charlie replied simply "and I told him that would kill him if he came near Joey again"

"What did he do to Joey?" Watson asked as she sunk down onto the seat across from Charlie.

"He grabbed her arm...Bruised her" Charlie said darkly "then he punched her. Plus he was verbally abusing her...I'm not just going to let him do that to her Watson!"

"The bruise on her cheek is from him hitting her?" Watson questioned thoughtfully "And she still has the bruises on her arm?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded. She watched in confusion as her colleague stood up "Where are you going?"

"I have to interview Joey" Watson answered before she turned and walked out of the room. Charlie leaned forward and braced her head in her hands.

---

Joey and Ruby entered the station entered the station only to come face to face with Brett.

"Joey!" he exclaimed happily "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Charlie" Joey answered emotionlessly "So I suggest you leave me alone"

"But..."

"I don't want to know" Joey cut him off as she tightened her grip on Ruby slightly "You don't care about me Brett...If you did you wouldn't be doing all of this just to make me unhappy" with one last look of disgust at her brother she turned and led Ruby to the chairs in the waiting room.

"What's going on Joey?" Ruby asked unsurely "did Charlie really assault somebody?"

"Brett was hassling me again" Joey turned her gaze to the floor guiltily "He said something about me and...Charlie shoved him into the wall. She told him that she would kill him if he touched me again"

"Oh" Ruby nodded slowly "So wh..."

"Joey?"

Joey looked up at the sound of her name and saw Watson standing in front of them "Where's Charlie?"

"I need you to come with me" Watson said casting a dark look at Brett "I have to talk to you in private"

Joey nodded and stood up. She looked down at Ruby unsurely.

"I'll be fine" Ruby smiled softly at her.

Joey followed Watson into a room and sat down, gazing at her expectantly "What's happening with Charlie? Is she okay?"

"She's fine" Watson said quietly. She paused for a moment "The bruise on your cheek...How did it get there?"

"Brett hit me" Joey answered honestly "He was drunk"

"I know that Charlie will most likely yell at me for asking you this..." Watson began "But I think that you should threaten to press counter charges against Brett. I know he's your brother but he might r..."

"I'll do it" Joey said quietly.

"You will?" Watson questioned in surprise.

"I will" Joey nodded positively "Will it get Charlie out of here?"

"Only if Brett drops the charges against her" Watson sighed.

"Can I see Charlie?" Joey questioned hopefully "Please?"

"Um..." Watson hesitated for a moment before nodding "sure...She'll be with Ruby by now"

---

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed in relief as she rushed into her girlfriend's arms and hugged her tightly "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Charlie smiled softly at her "This is just a hell of a mess Jo..."

"Watson said she would sort it" Joey informed her as they sat down next to Ruby.

"How?" Ruby spoke up curiously.

"I'm going to press Charges against Brett..."

"What?!" Charlie's eyes widened in shock "No, Joey...I can't let you do that"

"I'm going to do it anyway" Joey shrugged "Nothing you say will stop me Charlie..."

"I'm sorry" Charlie apologised "If I hadn't reacted the way I did none of this would be happening"

"You were trying to protect me" Joey pointed out "And I love for that. Anyway Watson says that Brett might withdraw his charges..."

"But how likely is tha..." Charlie was cut off as a door slammed and Brett stormed out of a room. He shot an evil glare at Charlie before walking out of the station.

Joey, Charlie and Ruby shared apprehensive looks.

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The blue car swerved round the corner at high speed narrowly missing another on coming vehicle. As soon as it was safely around the corner the driver accelerated dramatically and the car roared down the road. A split second later however a red car zoomed past it, knocking the blue car into the wall.

"JOEY!" Ruby shoved the older girl next to her gently "That's cheating!"

"Hey" Joey grinned her attention still focused on the TV screen in front of them "All is fair in love and gaming"

"I think we should restart" Ruby commented, in a mock annoyed tone "Because you keep cheating!"

"Fine" Joey rolled her eyes and restarted the game "But we've already restarted like five times and I still keep on winning!" she turned and grinned triumphantly at Ruby "Just like I'm going to do this time"

"I'm gonna kick your ass on this thing...You'll see" Ruby mumbled shifting forward slightly and narrowed her eyes at the TV screen.

Joey laughed out loud at the concentration on the younger girl's face "Fighting words for such a..." she trailed off suddenly "Uh..."

"Yeah, I'd stop talking if I were you Collins...If you want even a chance of winning"

"Collins?!" Joey laughed

"Trash talk" Ruby smirked "You use last names"

"Fine uh...Buckton....Bring it on!"

Ruby rolled her eyes in amusement but sat forward slightly as the game started "You're gonna lose..."

"Passed ya!" Joey grinned as her car shot past Ruby's.

"Not for long...."

"Hey!" Charlie said as she entered the room "I'm back!" she stopped and stared at them intently when she was greeted by silence "It's lovely to see you two too"

"Hey Babe" Joey greeted though she didn't take her eyes away from the game.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Charlie smiled as she slumped onto the couch next to Joey and focused intently on the screen.

"Nope"

Ruby glanced sidelong at Joey before she reached over and hit the brake control on her remote.

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed as her car stopped on the screen and Ruby's shot past "That's cheating!"

"Well you were cheating before" Ruby offered "As you said all is fair in love and gaming"

"Whatever" Joey muttered. She grinned when she finally passed Ruby and the finish line "Ha! I win! 6-4!"

"Charlie, could you tell your girlfriend that cheating is not winning?!" Ruby questioned frustratedly.

"Charlie, could you tell your daughter that it's not my fault she's a sore loser?" Joey countered, nudging Ruby playfully.

Charlie gazed wide-eyed at Ruby wondering how she was going to react to being referred to as her daughter. When the teen merely gazed at her expectantly Charlie responded shakily "Do you two ever stop bickering?"

"Nope" Ruby laughed "What would be the entertainment in that?" she stood up quickly "I'll just be a minute..."

Joey and Charlie watched in amusement as Ruby left the room and Charlie released a sigh of relief.

"What?" Joey questioned as she threw the remote down and moved closer to Charlie.

"I thought she would have freaked out when you called her my daughter" Charlie explained her eyes still on the doorway Ruby had retreated from.

"Oh" Joey said in surprise as she recalled her words "Sorry...I didn't even realise what I had said"

"It's fine" Charlie mumbled sadly "I'm not bothered about it...You have no idea how long I've wanted to be able to call her my daughter...I just thought that she would have a problem with it..."

"Well apparently she doesn't" Joey smiled softly at her "Maybe she's just starting to really come to terms with all of this stuff..." she leaned dup and pressed a gentle kiss to Charlie's lips "Hi, by the way"

"What kind of 'Hi' was that?" Charlie grinned as she moved forward and captured Joey's lips with her own in a passionate kiss. They pulled away slightly breathless "I've been missing your kisses all day"

"Well maybe you wouldn't miss them if you didn't go to work unnecessarily"

"Jo C'mon" Charlie sighed heavily as she turned slightly on the couch to face her pouting girlfriend "You know I have to go to work before I have to _actually_ go back full time...Which I need to do soon because we're not exactly _rolling_ in money"

Oh" Joey mumbled quietly "I think maybe I should get a job"

"A job?" Charlie questioned as she turned to face Joey "Why?"

"You're working too hard" Joey responded guiltily "And I really should start pulling my weight around here. Plus we have to pay for the wedding remember...Anyway what else would I do when you go back to work?"

"Oh yeah" the older girl nodded thoughtfully "That's a good point..."

"I was thinking..." Joey started nervously.

"Ouch" Charlie winced teasingly "Need a Tylenol?"

"Very funny Buckton" Joey nudged her girlfriend playfully.

"I thought so" Charlie smirked "So what were you thinking about?"

"The wedding" Joey answered "I was thinking that since we don't have much money we could just...Have a small wedding? Me, you, family, friends? What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea!" Charlie beamed happily "It'll still be absolutely perfect!" she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Joey's lips.

"What will be?" Ruby questioned as she walked back into the room and sat back down in her seat.

"The wedding" Charlie answered "We've decided to keep it small..."

"Oh" Ruby nodded "Sounds like a good idea"

"I thought so" Charlie replied happily "This way, It'll be more intimate...We'll have our family and friends around us..."

"You'll have your family" Joey corrected sadly "I don't really have any, anymore"

Ruby glanced away uneasily.

"Hey" Charlie squeezed Joey's hand comfortingly "That's not true at all Jo...You have us. And we're your family, right?"

"Right" Joey agreed forlornly "And it's not that I don't appreciate that because I really do but...I guess I've just realised that my whole family is either dead, crazy, hates me or all of the above"

"It's their loss" Charlie wrapped an arm around Joey's shoulders and placed a kiss on her head.

"Maybe" Joey smiled lightly "I'm just kind of upset that Brett refuses to love me for who I am instead of who he wants me to be. I don't know why he can't accept me for who I am. He..."

"He's a fucking Idiot!" Ruby muttered.

Charlie and Joey gazed at her in shock. Charlie didn't know whether to chastise her daughter for swearing or grab her in a giant bear hug for showing her support to Joey.

"Oops" Ruby said as she noticed them staring at her "Did I say that out loud?" she glanced at Joey guiltily "Sorry Jo. I know that's not what you need to be hearing right now but if he can't accept you for who you are...and let's face it who you are is pretty damn awesome then he really is an idiot and he doesn't deserve you"

Joey threw her arms around the surprised teenager in a tight hug "Thanks Rubz"

"Its fine" Ruby pulled away slightly and shrugged "I'm just gonna...give you guys a minute..." she stood up and moved out of the room.

"See?" Charlie smiled softly at her girlfriend "I told you"

"Yeah" Joey nodded slowly "Wow..."

"You can't tell me you're surprised by that" Charlie rolled her eyes "C'mon Joey you know that Ruby adores you!"

"Yeah, I do..." Joey smiled as she leaned back into Charlie's embrace.

"She's right you know..." Charlie murmured softly "If he can't accept you for who you are he doesn't deserve you at all Jo...It's his problem, not yours"

"I know" Joey looked up at Charlie "Thanks Babe"

"For what?" Charlie smiled.

"For loving me..."

"Always" Charlie whispered before she leaned down and kissed Joey passionately.

"Woo" Joey grinned breathlessly when Charlie pulled away "You really did want to kiss me" she moved forward to return to the kiss but stopped halfway when Charlie shifted away "What?"

"Couch" Charlie reminded her "Your obsession with making out on this couch is weird..."

Joey pouted at her "Bedroom?"

"Nope" Charlie smiled shaking her head "We're going out tonight.

"We are?" Joey said in disappointment. She wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist and leaned into her side "But I thought maybe we could just stay in..."

"You're just trying to seduce me" Charlie giggled as Joey began to place soft kisses on her neck.

"Guilty" Joey grinned "Do we really have to go out? We could...make our own entertainment..." she slid her hand slowly up Charlie's leg only to have it playfully batted away.

"Yes" Charlie pressed a teasing kiss to Joey's lips "We do"

---

"Hey" Charlie leaned close to Joey "What are you drinking?"

"Just order me the same as you" Joey smiled back at the older girl "But I'm paying"

"No you aren't"

"Yes, I am"

"No" Charlie pulled Joey close and kissed her deeply before pulling away and grinning impishly "You most definitely are not!" she jumped to her feet and rushed over to the bar.

"God, I love her" Joey smiled as she watched Charlie walk over to the bar. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of her seat, releasing a content smile.

"Hey" Charlie smiled when she returned and sat down next to Joey "Not falling asleep on me are you?" she wrapped an arm around the younger girls' shoulders and pulled her close.

"No" Joey opened her eyes and gazed intently at Charlie "I'm anything but tired Charlie...Believe me"

"Huh" Charlie swallowed heavily at the desire in Joey's eyes "Okay..." she picked her drink up off the table and took a quick sip trying to ignore the feeling of Joey's hand drawing slow circles on her thigh under the table.

"Charlie" Joey whispered huskily into the older girl's ear.

"Hmmn?" Charlie hummed as she twirled the straw slowly around in her drink.

"I want you...Right now"

"Wanna head home?" Charlie grinned as she turned to Joey.

"I don't think I can wait until then" Joey countered playfully "Got anywhere closer?" she leaned forward and kissed Charlie slowly.

"Are you still doing this?!" a male voice sounded from above them. Joey and Charlie pulled away and looked up to see Brett standing in front of them "After all that happened with her..."

"I thought you were supposed to be leaving us alone!" Charlie narrowed her eyes angrily at Brett.

"I'm not talking to you" Brett snapped "I'm talking to my sister...You're just taking advantage of her"

"What do you want Brett?" Joey sighed dolefully as she stood up from her seat. She felt Charlie get up with her and glanced at her grateful for her support.

"I told you Joey, I want you to come home with me!"

"I have a home" Joey said softly "And I have a family who accepts me for who I am..."

"She doesn't LOVE you!" Brett growled furiously "She's just playing you Jo...You have to listen to me..."

"No!" Charlie stepped in front of Joey protectively "You have absolutely no right to say that I don't love her Brett!"

"Joey come on!" Brett pleaded "You're not gay, why can't you just be..."

"What?!" Joey questioned sadly "Normal?"

"Yes!" Brett exclaimed "You were normal before this bitch turned you..."

"Don't call her that!" Joey said angrily "And she didn't turn me anything. I love her and if you can't accept that then just go away. I have all need"

Brett's expression dropped as he detected the end of the conversation. He turned to Charlie and glared at her venomously "This isn't over. When you're least expecting it..." he trailed off and smirked at her before he turned and walked away.

Charlie swallowed heavily as a shiver ran down her spine at Brett's words. She tightened her grip on Joey's

---

"Ruby?" Charlie called as she knocked lightly on her daughter's door.

"Come in" Ruby called back from behind the door. Charlie entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"What's up?" Ruby asked from where she sat on her bed. She patted the bed next to her ad watched as Charlie sat down next to her.

"Nothing" Charlie shrugged "Can't I just sit down and talk to you?"

"Yeah" Ruby said slowly "But you're looking really freaked out so...What's wrong?"

"You remember when I was stabbed, right?"

"Of course I remember" Ruby winced slightly at the memories "What's this about Charlie?"

"You and Joey were there for each other, right?" Charlie asked. At Ruby's nod she continued "If anything were to happen to me...You would be okay, right?"

"NO!" Ruby reached for Charlie's hand and grasped onto it tightly "Of course I wouldn't be okay Charlie...Why? What's going on?!"

"I'm sorry" Charlie sighed regretfully "It's just Joey's brother making stupid threats. That's all..." when Ruby continued to stare at her fearfully Charlie wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close "I just need to know that if I'm not around to protect you that...You'll be okay. I need you and Joey to be okay"

"We won't be okay though" Ruby tightened her grip on Charlie slightly "We need you here with us. _I _need you!"

"And I'll fight through heaven and hell to stay with you" Charlie dropped a kiss onto Ruby's head "I promise. But you have to know..." her voice broke slightly and Charlie coughed to clear her throat "I love you so much Rubz"

"I love you too" Ruby said quietly.

They sat still for a moment before Charlie stood up and smiled weakly at her daughter "Just don't forget that okay?" she ruffled the teenagers hair playfully before walking out of the room.

Ruby gazed after her in unadulterated worry.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

**Really sorry for the shortness of the chapter. The next one will be longer and the drama is on its way. I promise. Thanks again for all of your reviews. I love reading your comments :) **

Chapter 33

Joey exhaled deeply and closed her eyes allowing her head to fall back against the couch. She opened them after a moment and glanced at Ruby who was sitting across from her and Charlie, idly flicking through a magazine "Okay, so let's get this list sorted than. Who's coming to the wedding?"

"Ruby" Charlie offered.

"Obviously" Joey nodded as she scribbled Ruby's name in the notebook in her hand "We couldn't very well have it without her there could we? She's like our guest of honour"

Ruby looked up from her magazine and beamed happily at the older girl "Thanks"

Charlie smiled at the interaction between her daughter and girlfriend "Uh...Leah"

"Again, Obviously"

"Roman"

"With Leah" Joey nodded thoughtfully "Um...Aden...Belle"

"Rachel, Tony, Martha" Charlie listed slowly "Is Xavier coming Rubz?"

"More than likely" Ruby replied cautiously "Uh...Charlie?"

"What?" Charlie questioned in concern as she noticed her sister's nervousness "What is it?" Joey too looked over at the teenager from her notebook.

"Is uh...Dad...I mean...Is he coming to the wedding?" Ruby questioned.

"Oh my God..." Charlie murmured, paling slightly "I was obviously going to invite him to the wedding but it kind of slipped my mind that..." she bit her lip and glanced at Joey.

"What?" Joey frowned in confusion "What's wrong?"

"Dad doesn't know that I'm um..." Charlie bit her lip trying to find the right words "He doesn't know that I'm..."

"He doesn't know that she's gay...Or whatever she is" Ruby provided bluntly.

"Yeah..." Charlie nodded "What Ruby said"

"Oh..." Joey's eyes widened in shock "That's...not good"

"You can say that again!" Ruby snorted in amusement "I'd say we're well and truly screwed"

"Ruby!" Joey rebuked with a glare.

"Oh, right. Sorry" Ruby apologised sincerely as she turned to look at Charlie "What I meant to say is I'm behind you 100%"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled bravely at her daughter "You have to remember you said that though, okay?"

"Got it" Ruby smiled.

"So what are we going to do?" Joey asked hesitantly "Are we cancelling the wedding or..."

"No!" Charlie responded instantly "There will be no cancelations. I'm just going to have to go and see him and...Tell him" she nodded to herself thoughtfully.

"You're going away?" Joey said disappointedly.

"You're coming with me" Charlie informed her "You didn't think I would go by myself, did you?"

"Me?" Joey squeaked out fearfully "I don't know if I should...I mean what if your Dad doesn't take it well? I don't want to cause trouble..."

"You won't!" Charlie exclaimed puppy dog look firmly in place "Pleaaase Jo?" she stuck her bottom lip out causing Joey to waver slightly "Pretty please?"

"Fine" Joey sighed though she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips "But only because you're so damn cute!" she pressed a quick kiss to Charlie's lips.

"What am I supposed to do when you two are away?" Ruby asked quietly.

"You have to come with us!" Charlie turned to Ruby wide-eyed "I need you there with me Rubz. I don't think I'll be able to do this without you..."

"If you need me, I'll be there" Ruby smiled comfortingly. She got up and moved over to Charlie. She sat on the arm of the couch and wrapped an arm around the older girl's shoulder "You have my full support Charlz" she dropped a kiss on Charlie's head "Don't worry"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled up at her daughter, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Ruby shrugged "No problem"

"Well..." Charlie coughed; slightly embarrassed at her show of emotion "I'm going to go get ready so we can get going" she kissed Joey lightly before standing up and moving towards the door.

"Already?" Ruby asked in surprise "We're leaving today?!"

"Why not?" Charlie shrugged "I figured we should leave as soon as possible so you two should get ready. Anyway It would be best for us to get out of here as soon as possible"

"Right" Ruby frowned at Charlie's statement but nodded anyway.

"Hey, Charlie?" Joey called out as Charlie walked out of the room.

"Yeah?" Charlie stuck her head around the doorway.

"I'm missing you already" Joey smiled and blew Charlie a kiss.

Charlie grinned adoringly as she pretended to catch the kiss and press it to her heart "Back at ya" she ducked back out of the room.

"You two are so sweet" Ruby laughed as she dropped onto the couch next to Joey.

Joey shrugged her gaze still on the doorway.

"Joey?" Ruby waved a hand in front of Joey's face "Earth to Joey?"

"Huh?" Joey jerked back to attention "Oh! Sorry Rubz...I'm listening"

"I think something's wrong with Charlie" Ruby blurted out.

"What?" Joey frowned in concern "What do you mean something's wrong with her?"

"She's worried about your brother" Ruby kept her voice low, mindful that Charlie was just in the next room "She's talking about something happening to her. She's really freaking out about it..."

"She hasn't said anything to me..." Joey muttered hurt registering on her expression.

"Will you talk to her?" Ruby asked hopefully "Please?"

"Of course I will" Joey nodded, nudging the worried teen gently "Don't worry Rubz. It'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen to Charlie. I promise."

---

"Charlie?" Ruby questioned from the backseat of the car. She leaned forward slightly between the seats.

"What Rubz?" Charlie sighed exasperatedly as her eyes flicked from the road to the rear-view mirror and back again.

"Are we there yet?" Ruby grinned.

"No...Not yet" Charlie shook her head. All was silent for a moment before Ruby spoke up again.

"Charlie?"

"Yes Ruby?" Charlie growled out through clenched teeth.

"Are we there yet?"

"Ruby!" Charlie exclaimed in annoyance "I said NO!" she sighed heavily before silence filled the car.

"Charlie, Honey?" Joey asked softly, moving her hand to Charlie's knee.

"Yeah, Jo?" Charlie responded softly as the car came to a stop behind a line of traffic.

"Are we there yet?" Joey grinned mischievously.

Ruby burst out laughing the car as Charlie gazed at Joey in pure shock. After a moment both older girls burst into giggles, the sound of laughter breaking the tense silence in the car.

"You guys are not funny ganging up on me!" Charlie said as their laughter died down "It's just...Mean!"

The indignant tone of her voice coupled with the pout she was wearing set Joey and Ruby off into giggles again.

"Hmmph!" Charlie huffed playfully as she began to drive again. They fell back into a more comfortable silence.

"I'm bored" Ruby said suddenly "Can we put the radio on?"

"As long as we don't have to listen to that teen angst stuff again" Charlie grinned as she pressed the button on the car radio. A soft melody filled the car and Joey released an excited squeal causing both Charlie and Ruby to jump slightly.

"I LOVE THIS SONG!" Joey gushed practically jumping up and down in her seat.

Charlie grinned at her girlfriend's endearing excitedness. She shook her head in amusement when Joey began to sing loudly along to the lyrics, not even caring that her window was wide open.

_Sittin' in the mornin' sun  
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come  
Watching the ships roll in  
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah_

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay  
Watching the tide roll away  
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay  
Wastin' time

Joey's happiness appeared to be catching as by the third verse all three girls were singing loudly along to the well known song.

_I left my home in Georgia  
Headed for the 'Frisco bay  
'Cause I've had nothing to live for  
And look like nothin's gonna come my way_

So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay  
Watching the tide roll away  
Ooo, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay  
Wastin' time

People driving past in cars shook their heads in amusement as the three girls sang along to the song. _  
_

_Look like nothing's gonna change  
Everything still remains the same  
I can't do what ten people tell me to do  
So I guess I'll remain the same, yes_

Sittin' here resting my bones  
And this loneliness won't leave me alone  
It's two thousand miles I roamed  
Just to make this dock my home

Now, I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay  
Watching the tide roll away  
Oooo-wee, sittin' on the dock of the bay  
Wastin' time

Joey and Charlie shared contented smiles in the front of the car and Charlie reached out to grasp Joey's hand tightly in her own. Both older girls burst into giggles as Ruby attempted (and failed) to whistle in unison with the whistle at the end of the song.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Charlie swallowed heavily as she walked up the garden path with Joey and Ruby on either side of her. She tightened her hand uncomfortably in Joey's own clammy one "Jo?"

"Yeah?" Joey breathed out.

"Cut it out" Charlie muttered "You're making me nervous as hell"

"I'm not doing anything!" Joey protested innocently.

Ruby glanced at them and shook her head in dismay at their worry before she sped up, moving ahead of them.

"Your hand's shaking!" Charlie said shakily "And you're breathing too fast for it to be normal..."

"Sorry" the younger girl apologised sincerely "I'm just really nervous. It's not everyday I meet my girlfriend's parents..."

"Right...You're right" Charlie nodded as they finally reached Ruby who was awaiting them impatiently at the door. She lifted her free hand shakily and knocked on the door before taking a step away with Joey. It swung open a moment later to reveal Ross standing there. He appeared pleasantly surprised to see them there.

"Ruby!" he exclaimed in surprise as the teenager hugged him tightly "Charlie...What are you doing here?" when Ruby pulled away Ross stepped back into the house allowing them to enter "Come in..."

Joey stepped nervously inside the house with Charlie and Ruby feeling like she was going to have a heart attack at any second. Her fear only increased when Charlie pulled her hand from hers to hug her Dad.

"We thought we'd come by to see you" Charlie smiled when she pulled away and stepped back next to Joey "I have some news too"

Ross nodded and turned his gaze to Joey thoughtfully "I feel like I should know who you are..."

"Oh, you don't actually know her" Charlie said placing a supportive hand on the bottom of Joey's back "This is my..."

"Joey" Joey interrupted smiling charmingly at him "Joey Collins" she held out her hand to him and felt a flash of relief when he shook it "It's nice to meet you Sir"

"Ross" Ross corrected with a soft smile, finding himself disarmingly endeared by the young girls' nerves "And It's nice to meet you too Joey"

Charlie released a sigh relieved that her Father seemed to have taken an immediate liking to Joey. Ross cast a curious look at her "You okay Charlie?"

"Me?" Charlie nodded innocently "I'm fine...Great actually"

"Okay..." Ross nodded thoughtfully "So the news that you have...Is it bad news?"

"No" Charlie shook her head quickly "It's not bad news. Well I don't think its bad news and Ruby and Joey don't think its bad news. Its good news right?" she looked over at her daughter and girlfriend slightly breathless from her rant.

Joey couldn't help but smile at Charlie's adorable babble as she nodded.

"Very good news" Ruby agreed enthusiastically.

"Well in that case I'm intrigued" Ross commented "What is it?"

"Maybe we should wait until a bit later..." Charlie said quietly "Maybe after dinner?"

"Okay" Ross nodded "Morag shou..."

"Charlie!" Morag exclaimed as she walked down the stairs. She drew Charlie into a hug before turning to Ruby who allowed herself to be hugged quickly. The older woman turned to Joey and smiled "Joey"

"Hey" Joey offered a small smile and wave in return.

"Charlie has some news she wants to share with us later" Ross informed Morag, his gaze remaining fixed on his daughter "It sounds important but apparently it's _very good news_"

"Well than I can't wait to hear" Morag's smile faltered slightly "It's about time we had some good news around here"

Charlie frowned at Morag's statement but nodded anyway "It is good news. Well I think its good news..."

"You said that already" Ross informed his daughter fondly, wondering what the news could be that would make her so nervous.

"Right" Charlie laughed nervously "I knew that" her hand twitched at her side aching to reach out to Joey but she knew she couldn't. Not yet.

"Okaaay" Ross drawled confused at Charlie's strange behaviour "Well let's not just stand here..." he moved into the living room, motioning for the rest of them to follow him. Morag gazed at the three girls suspiciously before following her husband.

"Phew!" Charlie exclaimed in relief "That was close"

"Could you have been any more obvious?" Ruby giggled at Charlie's inability to lie "I hope you tell him so because he's going to work out that something's up" she smiled warmly at the older girls before walking after Morag leaving Charlie pouting indignantly behind her.

"I happen to think you're adorable when you're nervous" Joey smiled as she took Charlie's hand in her own. She glanced around quickly to make sure that the coast was clear before pressing a light kiss to Charlie's lips.

"Really?" Charlie blushed slightly. She bit her lip to suppress her huge grin.

"Absolutely" Joey grinned "And by the way..."

"What?" Charlie pressed when Joey trailed off.

"I hate not being able to touch you" Joey said softly.

"I'll tell them" Charlie promised sincerely "Tonight. Definitely"

"Okay" Joey squeezed Charlie's hand lightly before letting go "Come on...They'll be wondering where we are"

Charlie nodded hesitantly and they walked together towards the living room.

---

"So..." Ross said as he sat on the couch next to Morag across from Joey and Charlie "What's the big news?"

Charlie took a deep breath and gazed back at her father nervously. She had managed to put the conversation off for as long as possible but It was getting late and she said they would talk about it after dinner so Ross had pressed her for answers "Okay..." she glanced at Ruby gratefully as the teenager plopped down on the couch next to her and reached for her hand.

Ross gazed curiously at the interaction between Charlie and Ruby "I thought this was good news..."

"You might not think its good news" Charlie said quietly "In fact you might even get mad at me but before I tell you this you have to know I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been in fact. And while I really want your approval nothing anybody can say will change this... "

"And I support her 100%" Ruby added supportively.

"Okay" Ross smiled softly "So what is it?"

"I'm in love" Charlie answered shortly.

"Oh...Well that's good" Ross nodded, smile still firmly in place "So who's the lucky guy?"

Morag glanced between Joey and Charlie, realisation washing over her features.

Charlie felt Joey shift restlessly next to her and reached for her hand "There is no guy Dad..."

"Oh..." Ross's eyes widened in shock as his gaze landed on Joey and Charlie's joined hands "You're uh..."

"I'm in love with Joey" Charlie nodded nervously "I've never loved anybody like I love her. She makes me so happy. Like nobody else can..." she felt tears build up in her eyes when her Dad said nothing "Dad? Please say something. Anything?"

"Um..." Ross rubbed his forehead thoughtfully as his gaze lifted to Charlie "You're dating a girl? I mean you're...You've never..."

"There have been no other girls" Charlie responded "Just Joey..."

"Um...Right" Ross nodded slowly before he glanced at Joey who had yet to say anything "Do you love my daughter Joey?"

Joey nodded and gazed back at him sincerely "With all my heart and soul..."

"Okay..." Ross released a deep breath before turning back to Ruby "And you're supporting this Ruby?"

"Yes" Ruby nodded firmly as she squeezed Charlie's hand "I completely support them. They love each other and...Joey's awesome! She's saved my life more than once and she really cares for us"

"Hmmmn" Ross leaned forward and rested his head on his hands gazing thoughtfully at the three girls. He glanced at his wife and noticed that she seemed slightly shocked but happy for Charlie none the less "All I want is for you to be happy Charlie" he turned towards Charlie and smiled warmly at her "I'm not saying I'm not shocked at this revelation but if you're happy..."

"Thanks Dad!" Charlie beamed tearfully at her father "But uh...That's not all"

"It's not?" Ross raised an eyebrow in interest "Well what else is there?"

"I'm getting married"

Ross and Morag's eyes widened in shock.

"Uh...Wow" Ross spluttered "How...When did this happen?"

"I asked Joey to marry me a couple of weeks ago" Charlie answered proudly "I really love her and...I want to spend the rest of my life with her..."

"The feeling's mutual of course" Joey cut in with a bright smile.

"Wow" Ross repeated as he leaned back in his chair "That's...wow"

"I'm sorry I just sprung all of this on you" Charlie apologised guiltily.

"It's okay" Ross took a deep breath and turned back to Joey "Do you _really_ love her Joey?"

"I do" Joey nodded instantly "I love her so much...How could I not? She's sweet, caring, beautiful, amazing...I don't know how I got lucky enough for her to love me back but...I do love her"

"And you'll take care of my girls?" Surprisingly Ross found himself close to tears.

"I'll protect them with my life" Joey vowed honestly "I would never let anyone hurt them..."

"In that case I'm very happy for the both of you" Ross smiled "Now Come on Charlie...Give your old Dad a hug" he stood up and opened his arms to Charlie who rushed into them. He pulled away and coughed embarrassedly at his show of emotion. He turned to Joey and raised an eyebrow at her "Do I get a hug from my future Daughter-in-law?"

Joey stood up and moved towards him, finding herself engulfed in a warm fatherly embrace.

"It's about time you found yourself somebody decent" Morag commented from behind them "I'm happy for the both of you...You both have my full support"

"Thanks Morag" Charlie beamed.

"You should all stay here tonight" Ross informed them as he glanced out of the window "I don't want you driving back in the dark..."

Charlie rolled her eyes at her father's protectiveness as she stepped back and entwined her hand with Joey's.

---

Joey sighed contentedly to herself as she snuggled further into the warm blankets surrounding her. Charlie had remained downstairs for a while talking to her Dad and Joey had wanted to give them space. She grinned to herself as the door flew open and she heard Charlie enter the room. The older girl got changed silently trying not to wake her apparently sleeping girlfriend before she slipped into the bed, snuggling close to her.

"Mmnn, you're cold" Joey murmured quietly. She turned over and wrapped her arms around Charlie pulling her close to her body in an attempt to warm her up.

"You're warm" Charlie smiled as she kissed Joey's forehead gently "I thought you were asleep..."

"Nope" Joey grinned at her "You know I can't sleep without you in my arms..."

Charlie returned the smile warmly before she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Joey's lips "I've wanted to kiss you all day..."

"Don't let me stop you" Joey whispered pulling the older girl back into a passionate kiss. They pulled away after a moment slightly breathless and gazed at each other in silence.

"Your Dad was really understanding" Joey said quietly as she moved her hand under Charlie's shirt and caressed the soft skin of her back gently "He's really great"

"Yeah I know" Charlie smiled softly.

"I meant what I said you know" Joey spoke honestly "I would protect you and Ruby with my life...I would never let anybody hurt you"

"I know" Charlie repeated.

"Ruby told me that you were freaking out about what Brett said" Joey whispered "That you think something is going to happen to you..."

"Yeah..." Charlie sighed "I just wanted to know that you and Ruby would be okay if anything happened to me..."

"We won't be okay" Joey argued as she sat up slightly in the bed to look down at Charlie "Don't you get it Charlie? We'd be lost without you. I don't know what I would do and..."

"And?" Charlie prompted in concern.

"If it mean that you were safe I would do whatever I have to do to stop Brett from coming after you"

Charlie frowned "What are you saying Joey?"

"I'm saying...That I won't let anything happen to you" Joey said averting her eyes "No matter what..."

"Don't even think about it Joey Collins" Charlie warned fear clear in her voice "I need you with me so get those thoughts out of your head..." she leaned forward and kissed Joey deeply "I need you in every possible way..." she moved her hand under Joey's shirt "I need you so much Jo..."

Joey smiled contentedly into the kiss all thoughts of Brett disappearing from her head. When she felt Charlie's hand moving up her stomach she pulled away quickly "Charlie, we can't do this!"

"What?" Charlie frowned "Why not?!" she leaned back up to capture Joey's lips but the younger girl moved back even further.

"We can't have sex in your Dad's house!" Joey exclaimed obviously "He's right next door to us..."

"I'll be very quiet" Charlie smiled at her "Plus I locked the door..."

"Huh" Joey smiled "You think of everything don't you?"

"Yep!" Charlie nodded "Now come back over here and kiss me 'cause I'm still _really_ cold...I need you to war....mmph!" she was cut off as Joey reclaimed her lips in a passionate but impossibly slow and tender kiss.

---

Brett glanced nervously around the dark street as a hooded man walked up to him. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked forwards meeting the other man half-way.

"Hey" Brett greeted clapping the guy on the back "How are you doing?"

"I'm good" the man nodded "You?"

"Been better" Brett shrugged before he glanced around self consciously "Did you uh...Did you bring the stuff with you?"

"I did" the man pulled a small packet from his pocket but held on tightly when Brett attempted to take it "Brett, are you sure you want this? This shit can seriously fuck you up. You know that."

"I'm sure" Brett took the packet from him and stuffed it into his pocket "Don't worry mate" he grinned sadistically "It's not for me..."

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

**Thank so much for your reviews. I love to hear what you guys all think! Longest chapter so far! :D Hope you all enjoy... xoxo**

Chapter 35

Brett walked slowly past the diner, a sly grin on his face. He spotted Charlie up ahead and his grin faded quickly into a dark scowl. He followed her slowly, gradually getting closer until he noticed that there was nobody around.

"HEY!" he yelled loudly.

Charlie stopped and turned around to face him. Her expression dropped when she noticed who it was and she began to continue walking.

Brett fumed silently and rushed up to her grabbing her arm tightly "I was TALKING to you!"

"What do you want?" Charlie pulled herself out of his rough hold "I don't have anything to say to you Brett"

"I want you to stay away from my sister!" the man growled "Whatever you're doing with her...It's SICK! It's not right!"

Charlie ground her teeth together in fury but managed to push it back "I'm not going to give into you Brett. Hitting you will only give you what you want and I'm not prepared to do it"

"Why can't you just leave Joey ALONE?!" Brett yelled "You don't love her Charlie. You're just using her and It's WRONG!"

"Okay" Charlie released a heavy sigh and began to speak slowly as if she was talking to a particularly petulant Child "I love Joey. She loves me. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop us from being together. Nothing about what I have with your sister is _wrong_ Brett. It's all right so just lea..." she was cut off by a furious growl from Brett as he shoved her hard. She stumbled backwards and felt the air rush from her lungs as her back collided with the wall. A split second later a hand grabbed at her throat, holding her in place.

"You're going to leave my sister alone!" Brett muttered darkly "Do you understand me?!"

Charlie struggled for breath as Brett pressed down on her windpipe but she refused to answer the question.

"This is your fault" Brett continued angrily "You made her this way" he tightened his grip on Charlie's throat slightly even as she gasped for air, tears forming in her terrified eyes "And I'm going to make you pay for what you've done...I swear it" he scowled wrathfully at her before he released her and stalked away. Charlie dropped to the ground and coughed as she attempted to get air back into her lungs. Her hand moved to her throat and she rubbed the sore area painfully.

"Ow..." she felt tears spring to her eyes as oxygen stung her throat but stubbornly pushed them back down. She looked up to see Brett disappearing from her site and mentally sighed in relief. She pushed herself shakily to her feet and began a slow walk back to where she was originally heading...Home.

She walked into the house numbly and approached the living room where she could hear the sound of the TV.

"Hey Charlz" Ruby greeted warmly without taking her eyes off the TV. When no response was offered she looked up in confusion and her eyes widened in panic when she noticed Charlie's untidy and bruised state.

"CHARLIE!" Ruby practically leaped off the chair in an effort to get the older girl. She reached her just as she stumbled forward. The younger girl caught her in a gentle grip "What happened to you?" when Charlie still showed no sign of answering Ruby led her over to the couch and sat her gently down.

"Shit..." Ruby cursed as she ran her fingers over the dark bruise already forming on Charlie's neck "Charlie?" she waved a hand in front of Charlie's face "Charlie please talk to me!" she bit her lip as tears of fright welled up in her eyes "I have to call Joey..."

"NO!" Charlie snapped out of her reverie and grabbed Ruby's hand pulling her back down on the couch "Don't..."

"Who did this Charlie?" Ruby reached out and grasped both of Charlie's hands in her own "Was it Brett?"

Charlie nodded slowly as tears filled her eyes "He told me that I have to leave Joey alone again...That what I have with her is wrong! How can it be wrong Rubz?"

Ruby swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and pulled Charlie into a tight embrace, the action meant to reassure herself that the older girl was okay as much as it was meant to comfort her "There's nothing at all wrong with your relationship with Joey...You guys love each other! There's nothing more pure and right than what you two have together!"

"He seems to think there is..." Charlie sighed as she reached up to brush tears from her cheeks "Why can't he just leave us alone Ruby?"

"What did he do?" Ruby's hand once again rose to brush lightly against the angry looking bruise on Charlie's neck "Did he hurt you anywhere else?"

Charlie sniffled and shrugged weakly "I think my back might be a bit bruised...He pushed me into a wall"

"And decided to choke you?!" Outrage registered on Ruby's face when she finally thought beyond Charlie's injuries to who caused them "I'm going to kill him..." she stood up only to find herself tugged back down quickly.

"No" Charlie coughed rubbing at her throat "He's too dangerous Rubz. Just leave him; I don't want you involved with all of this crap"

"You should go to a hospital" Ruby murmured in concern as she noticed that Charlie was shaking next to her "That looks really painful...and I think you might be in shock"

Charlie shook her head silently.

"Well at least let me phone Joey" Ruby offered softly "You seem like you need her right now and she'll know what to do anyway. She'll fix you up and..."

"NO!" Charlie stated loudly, the volume of her voice surprising Ruby "I'm not going to the hospital and nobody's going to phone Joey. She doesn't need to know about this!"

"What?!" Ruby gasped "Why? Joey has to know! Her brother attacked you for God sake. She would want to know. You can't keep this from her "

"She can't know" Charlie wrapped her arms tightly around herself trying to control the involuntary shaking of her body "It'll just give her an excuse to leave me...I'll be fine"

"And what about the next time this happens?!" Ruby stood up tears shining in her eyes "What if you're not so lucky next time Charlie?" the teenager shook her head in disbelief "I can't believe how selfish you're being! What...What would I do if anything happened to you?"

Charlie pulled her daughter back down onto the couch and into her arms, holding onto her tightly "I'm sorry..."

"You have no idea how much I need you!" Ruby whispered tearfully into Charlie's shoulder. She pulled back slightly after a moment "Charlie, please..."

"I can't tell her" Charlie said quietly "And you can't either Rubz." She stood up and leaned down to place a kiss on her daughters forehead "I'm sorry" she pulled back and wiped tears from her eyes "I have to go get changed. I can't have her seeing me like this" she moved towards her bedroom leaving Ruby on the couch.

---

Joey walked down the road, grinning ecstatically to herself. She pushed open the door and entered the house finding herself anxious to see her girlfriend.

"Charlie?" she called out quietly as she looked around the kitchen. She frowned to herself when there was no answer and moved slowly into the living room. She spotted Charlie sitting on the couch and beamed happily.

"Joey!" Charlie smiled as she help her arms open to the other girl "God, I'm glad to see you!"

Joey jumped onto the couch and fell into Charlie's offered embrace, placing a soft kiss on her lips. She was slightly surprised when Charlie deepened the short kiss but happily returned it none-the-less.

"Hey" she grinned when she pulled back "I take it you missed me?"

"More than I can say" Charlie answered sincerely.

"Are you okay?" Joey tilted her head to the side and gazed closely at Charlie who shifted nervously at the sudden examination.

"Yeah, Why?"

"Your voice sounds weird" Joey stated softly as her fingers gently traced Charlie's lips "Sounds huskier than usual"

"Maybe I'm _really_ happy to see you" Charlie smiled charmingly at her.

"Nope...It's not that" Joey continued to stare closely at the older girl "Your voice doesn't sound like this even when you're really uh..." she blushed slightly and coughed "Yeah...Plus you're wearing a Hoodie! It's like 900c out!" indeed Charlie was wearing a dark hoodie, the collar pulled almost right up to her chin.

"I'm cold" Charlie protested weakly.

"You're not sick again, are you?" Joey raised a hand to Charlie's forehead but felt no temperature.

"I'm fine" Charlie coughed slightly and lifted a hand to her stinging throat "Just leave it Jo...Please!"

"What...Charlie" Joey frowned at the pleading note in Charlie's voice and the tears that had formed quickly in her eyes "What's wrong Baby? I'm sure it's not that bad. If you're sick..."

"I'm not sick!" Charlie sniffled quietly.

Joey gazed fearfully at her Lover "Charlie, Honey I have to take this off. I need to know what's wrong with you" she reached slowly for the zip of Charlie's hoodie.

"No..." Charlie protested weakly as she moved away from Joey "Please Jo don't..."

"I'm not going to hurt you" Joey placed a soft kiss on Charlie's cheek "I promise" she pulled the hoodie from Charlie as gently as possible ensuring that she kept her eyes locked with Charlie's "It's okay..." when the item of clothing was fully removed she looked down and her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the dark bruise marking Charlie's neck "Charlie..." her gaze rose to meet fear filled blue eyes "Who did this? Was it...Brett?"

Charlie nodded silently and gripped onto Joey's hands with a vice like grip "Please don't leave me Joey..."

"Hey" Joey pulled Charlie towards her "I'm not going to leave you Charlie...This isn't your fault"

"I thought that you would give into him and leave me" Charlie said tearfully as she lay her head on Joey's chest listening to the younger girl's steady heartbeat "I was so scared Jo..."

"I'm not leaving you" Joey kissed Charlie's head lightly "I promise...I'm going to kill him though"

"No" Charlie shook her head "He's not worth it Jo..."

"You don't deserve this" Joey mumbled as Charlie sat up slightly to look at her "This..." she reached out and traced the bruise on Charlie's neck with gentle fingertips "You don't deserve any of this crap from him"

"Jo?" Charlie wrapped an arm around Joey's waist and snuggled into her side.

"Yeah?" Joey breathed out, her gaze turning down to look at Charlie.

"Do you think that our relationship is wrong?" Charlie asked vulnerably "That it's everything Brett says?"

"NO!" Joey jerked backwards to look into Charlie's eyes "No Charlie...There's nothing wrong with what we have together. Brett's just being a prick!" she leaned forward and placed a passionate but incredibly tender kiss on Charlie's lips, threading her hands through silky hair as she did so. She eventually pulled away when air became an issue "Does it feel anything but right?"

"No" Charlie answered honestly "It feels right...Righter than anything I've ever felt before..."

"It is right" Joey pulled Charlie back towards her into a soft kiss and wrapped her arms tightly around her as if by doing that she could shield her from Brett's narrow minded bitterness.

---

"She's such a Charlie oh no..." Joey sang along to the lyrics from the music around her as she tapped her fingers rhythmically against the Chair "She's such a Charlie oh no...She's always looking at me...She's always looking at me... She's such a Charlie oh no"

Charlie giggled as she leaned further into Joey's embrace "I don't think those are the words Babe" she leaned her head against Joey's and placed a soft kiss on the hand entwined with her own.

"Well they should be!" Joey grinned charmingly "Because to me all songs are for you..." she winked flirtatiously.

"She's such a charmer oh no!" Charlie giggled using the correct lyrics this time. She leaned forward and kissed Joey gently "You're such a charmer Collins!"

"That's the way you love me" Joey smiled before she returned the soft kiss. A loud cough from above them caused them to pull apart. They looked up to see Brett looming over them and Charlie immediately cringed. Joey squeezed her hand protectively.

"What the hell do you want Brett?" She glared at him "I suggest you get out of here before I thump you for what you did to Charlie!"

"Yeah..." Brett tried his utmost to look apologetic "Look I'm sorry about that Charlie. I was way out of line this afternoon. I had no right to treat you like that"

"Uh..." Charlie gazed at him in pure shock "Right..."

"Let me buy you both a drink" Brett offered "Peace offering? Please?"

"Okay..." Charlie glanced unsurely at Joey.

"What are you drinking?" Brett smiled stiffly as he fingered a small packet in his pocket.

"Um...Vodka and Coke" Charlie answered quietly.

"Just a bottle of beer for me" Joey said watching her brother closely. He went up to get the drinks and returned a couple of minutes later.

"I am really sorry" he said to Charlie as he placed the drinks on the table and left without another word.

"That was...strange" Joey noted numbly "I wonder what's wrong with him..."

"I don't know" Charlie pulled Joey close and kissed her "But it's a good thing right?"

They both picked up their drinks and clinked them together.

"I think so..." Joey said unsurely.

----

"Charlie?" Joey frowned as she observed her girlfriend whose leg was bouncing up and down "Is something wrong? You seem really hyper and drunk but you've only had two drinks tonight!"

"I'm fine!" Charlie grinned as she jumped up pulling Joey with her "In fact I feel on top of the world! Let's dance" she pulled Joey in close to her.

"Whoa!" Joey caught her girlfriend as she stumbled slightly "I think you should sit down for a minute Honey..."

"I'm fine!" Charlie protested loudly, drawing the attention of some of the other customers.

"Charlie..." Joey frowned as she placed her hands on Charlie's cheeks and gazed closely into her eyes "Your eyes are all bloodshot. What's going on?"

"I'm...fine" Charlie slurred "Really Jo...I'm perfectly Fiiiiiine!" she attempted to pull the younger girl into a kiss but Joey pulled away.

"No you're not!" Joey argued in concern "I can tell that's there something wrong Charlie. Your eyes are bloodshot, your breathing is shallow, you're falling all over the place and you're not acting like you normally do!"

"Joey, I'm Fine" Charlie panted breathlessly. She pulled away and shook her head as the room seemed to spin around her "Whoa..." she held out an arm in attempt to regain her balance "Maybe I'm not..."

"CHARLIE!" Joey yelled as Charlie stumbled. She rushed forwards and caught her in her arms. She lowered her gently to the ground "Somebody call an ambulance!" she reached down and moved a strand of hair from Charlie's face "Charlie, Please wake up..."

---

"Joey?" Ruby asked softly as she turned her gaze to Joey in the seat next to them "Do you think Charlie will be okay?"

"I hope so" Joey released Ruby's hand and instead pulled the younger girl into her arms "I really hope so Rubz..."

"Joey!" Rachel exclaimed as she rushed towards them "Ruby!"

Both girls jumped up to stand in front of Rachel and spoke in unison "Is Charlie okay?!"

Rachel gazed at them sadly and swiped a hand across her eyes "Joey, I need to ask you something and you have to promise to answer me honestly okay?"

"Okay" Joey nodded sincerely "I promise"

"Has Charlie taken anything in the past few hours that you're aware of?" Rachel asked slowly "Cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy, GHB?"

"Drugs?!" Joey exclaimed in disbelief "No! Charlie would never do anything like that...She's a cop for God Sake Rachel. How can you even say that about her?!"

"A large amount of drugs were found in her bloodstream" Rachel informed them quietly "I think she's going to be okay but if she's doing this Joey...It's a real problem which has to be sorted out!"

"She isn't taking drugs!" Joey stated firmly "Charlie would never do anything like tha..." her jaw dropped slightly when something occurred to her "Brett..."

"Brett?" Ruby and Rachel echoed.

"He bought us a drink" Joey said tears welling in her eyes "He said it was a peace offering or something..."

"He could have spiked her drink..." Rachel nodded thoughtfully "Okay...I'll see what I can do. Joey?"

"What?" Joey asked.

"You two can go and see her" Rachel gestured behind her "She's awake but kind of groggy. I know what you're both like so I requested permission for the both of you to stay with her tonight. Room 205"

"Thank you so much Rachel" Joey hugged the doctor quickly before grabbing Ruby's hand and pulling her towards the room. They hesitated outside of it and glanced at each other unsurely.

"We should go in" Ruby whispered finally "She needs us..."

Joey nodded and pushed the door open.

"Hey" Charlie smiled weakly at them "Have you ever realised that we always end up in the same room?" her smile faded when both of the girl's continued to gaze at her tearfully "Come here" she held open her arms to them but frowned when they made no move.

"You don't seriously think I would take those drugs do you?" she asked in disbelief, hurt visible on her expression "I wouldn't do that..."

"No!" Ruby stated adamantly "We just...We..." she glanced at Joey for help.

"We don't want to hurt you" Joey said softly, her words holding a deeper meaning than either of the Buckton's were aware of.

"You won't" Charlie said quietly as tears began to slide from her own eyes "Come on...I could really use a hug right about now? Since when do you reject free hugs Rubz?"

"I'm not rejecting you" Ruby spoke as she carefully approached Charlie "I just don't want to cause you any pain"

"I'm okay" Charlie took her daughter's hand and pulled her into a tight hug. She tightened her embrace when she felt Ruby release a small sob against her "I'm not going anywhere Rubz..."

Ruby hung onto the older girl as tightly and for as long as she possibly could before she pulled away "I love you Charlie"

"I love you too" Charlie smiled tearfully as she reached up to wipe the teenagers tears away.

Ruby glanced from Charlie to Joey who was still standing next to the door and back again "I'm going to give you two a minute. Anyone want a coffee?"

"I'm not allowed to drink coffee" Charlie sighed sadly "Because of the drugs"

"Sorry...Three hot chocolates it is than" Ruby leaned down and kissed Charlie's head gently "And I'll make you some of mine when you get home"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie whispered.

Ruby shrugged as she walked towards the door. She squeezed Joey's hand on the way past before she walked out pulling the door closed behind her.

"So...Do I get a hug?"Charlie smiled at her tearful girlfriend "Would it be too much to ask for a kiss too? Because I really need one right now..." Joey made no move and simply stared at her silently.

"Joey?" Charlie's voice cracked with emotion "Please come over here...I need you"

Joey seemed to snap out of her haze as her tears started coming thicker and faster and she rushed over to Charlie. She kissed her deeply and desperately "Charlie..." she sobbed between kisses "I love you so much..." she pulled Charlie gently closer by the back of her neck and allowed her kisses to slow down. After a moment she pulled away fully and dropped down on the seat behind her, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Charlie" she sobbed.

"Joey come here" Charlie held out a hand to Joey and when the younger girl took it immediately she pulled her up onto the bed and into her arms "None of this is your fault. Absolutely none of it, okay?"

"I don't want to hurt you" Joey sobbed into Charlie's shoulder "But I AM hurting you Charlie!"

"You're not" Charlie soothed quietly as she smoothed a hand over Joey's dark hair "This is his fault...Not yours. HIS!"

"You almost died!" Joey pulled back to look into Charlie's eyes "Because of our love for each other...you almost died..."

"Not because of our love" Charlie smiled shaking her head "Because of his narrow minded hate!"

"I don't want you to hurt anymore" Joey whispered leaning her forehead against Charlie's.

"Its okay" Charlie leaned forward and kissed Joey tenderly allowing her lips to linger on the younger girls "He'll go to jail for this and...We'll be fine. I promise"

"I love you much Charlie..." Joey mumbled closing her eyes.

"I love you too" Charlie ducked her head and continued to lovingly kiss the younger girl.

---

"Micky?!" Brett yelled into his phone "The cops are after me! Do you remember what I said? When I'm not around you have to do me one small favour" he listened closely to the voice on the other end and sighed in relief "Yeah. That's it. Thanks Mate" he chucked his phone into a bush before stopping and holding his hands up in surrender to the advancing police.

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

**Hi guys. Thank you all so much for your reviews. Another long chapter! This chapter's kind of angsty and yeah I know I have Joey doing something most of you don't really want but...Drama and angst are necessities, right? Don't worry though I can't write sadness for very long and I most certainly can't write uh...Unhappy endings. It will get happier. I promise. Oh and just to warn you all there's a small sex scene at the end of this...and the song is 'Save Tonight' By Eagle eye Cherry. **

Chapter 36

Mickey exhaled nervously and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before he reluctantly picked up his phone.

"I hope you know what you're doing Brett..." he muttered to himself as he dialled the number.

"Hello?" he smirked into the receiver when his call was answered "Yes...I'd like to report a crime. Anonymously of course" he listened for a moment to the voice on the end of the line "It concerns Senior Constable Buckton..." he turned his gaze to the note in front of him and grinned evilly.

---

Joey walked silently in the kitchen and paused, an automatic smile brightening when she spotted Charlie making coffee. She stood still and gazed at her girlfriend for a moment before moving quietly over to her.

"Hey Beautiful" she murmured as she wrapped her arms around the older girl "How _you_ doing?"

Charlie jumped slightly at the touch but leaned back when she realised it was Joey and released a giggle at her Joey Tribianni impression.

"Nice impression" she responded quietly "Fitting since you both share the same name"

"Mmnhm" Joey hummed into Charlie's neck. She ran her hands lightly down the other girl's arms to grasp her hands lightly "You shouldn't be doing that. You just got out of the hospital"

"I'm not going to break Jo. I'm fine, honestly"

"How are you feeling today?" Joey asked quietly as she rewrapped her arms around Charlie's waist.

"I'm okay" Charlie answered uncertainly "Just a headache...Apparently I had quite a few drugs in my system. I guess a headache is the least I can expect"

"Yeah" Joey sighed sadly "I guess it is..."

"Don't do that" Charlie murmured turning in Joey's embrace to face her.

"Do what?" Joey asked in confusion "I wasn't doing anything"

"The guilt" Charlie cupped Joey's face in her hands and kissed her softly "You have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about Jo...This wasn't your fault"

"You say that" Joey smiled weakly as she pulled away "But we both know it isn't true. This is _all_ my fault. He's my brother"

"What he's doing is nobody's fault but his" Charlie corrected gently "He's the one with the problem. Not you"

"But..."

"No buts!" Charlie interrupted with a smile "It's not your fault and that's final...Got it, Collins?"

"Got it" Joey whispered unsurely. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Charlie's lips "Thanks Charlie"

"Anytime for you" Charlie shrugged before she pulled Joey back into a tender kiss.

"You know..." Joey said thoughtfully when they finally pulled away from the kiss "I could stand here and kiss you all day Senior Constable Buckton"

"Yeah?" Charlie smiled and pressed a light kiss to her girlfriend's lips "But don't you think you could be using your time more...Productively?"

"Definitely not" Joey said seriously. They fell into a mutually comfortable silence, though it didn't last long.

"Joey?" Charlie whispered suddenly "Will you do something for me?"

Joey gazed at her in curiosity but nodded anyway "Anything"

"Close your eyes" Charlie wrapped her arms around Joey's neck pulling her even closer.

"O-kaaay" Joey found herself confused but trustingly closed her eyes.

"What do you see?"

"Uh...The back of my eyelids?" Joey grinned mischievously but didn't open her eyes.

"No" Charlie laughed "I mean...Think about the future. What do you see in it?"

Joey opened her eyes and gazed intently at the older girl "Why? What do _you_ see?"

"I asked you first" Charlie pouted.

"Okay fine. When I think about the future I see..." Joey thought carefully for a moment before speaking seriously"I see you" she smiled adoringly when Charlie blushed and glanced away "What do you see?"

"Hmmn..." Charlie looked up at her and grinned "That Ms. Collins is for me to know and you to find out"

"Awww come on Charlie!" Joey whined sadly "I told you mine, why can't you tell me yours?"

"I..." Charlie was cut off from replying as a knock sounded at the door. She reluctantly untangled herself from Joey and walked over to it. When she pulled it open her heart clenched fearfully in her chest when her eyes fell upon Watson and three other officers.

"Watson?" she frowned "What's wrong?" she glanced over her shoulder at Joey who seemed just as concerned as she herself felt.

"Can we come in?" Watson requested quietly.

Charlie stepped hesitantly away from the door and backed away from the officers. She stopped when she felt herself bump into Joey who wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

"I'm really sorry to have to do this again Charlie" Watson began guilt and sadness shining in her eyes.

"Do what?" Joey asked pulling Charlie even more securely against her.

Watson took a deep breath "I have a warrant and orders to search the house. And..." Watson closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled "and If we find anything I have to place you under arrest"

Charlie and Joey watched in stunned shock as the three officers behind Watson walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry Charlie" Watson said in a low voice "I have orders to do this. If I could I would do anything in my power to stop it..."

"What have I done now?" Charlie asked quietly her breath catching fearfully in her throat.

"You're suspected of usage of and intent to supply class A drugs" Watson answered quietly.

Joey and Charlie looked at each other in fear.

"No..." Joey shook her head firmly as she looked back to Watson "That wasn't Charlie. That was Brett!"

"There's been another accusation" Watson countered "I know it's not true but there's nothing I can do right now. I'm powerless!"

"I haven't done anything" Charlie said quietly "So you won't find anything in here."

Joey took Charlie's shaking hand comfortingly in her own.

"I know th..." Watson began to say just as a male officer walked into the kitchen behind her.

"Watson?" He held up a small bag filled with white pills "We found something...there doesn't appear to be anything else there..."

Watson gaped in horror at the small packet for a moment before she swallowed heavily and nodded "Okay..." she turned back to Charlie and Joey her expression immediately softening "Charlie..."

Charlie had paled dramatically and looked like she was about to burst into tears. Joey didn't appear to be fairing much better.

"Th...Those aren't mine!" Charlie stuttered "You have to believe me Watson...They aren't!" she turned to Joey and gazed at her pleadingly "Joey I swear I've never seen them before!"

Joey turned her gaze to Watson "Those aren't hers. Charlie wouldn't do anything like that..."

"I'm sorry Joey" Watson responded sincerely "It's out of my hands"

"This isn't right" Joey protested weakly "You can't do this to her again...She's innocent!"

"We'll sort this out down at the station" the man spoke gruffly.

"Shut Up!" Joey growled out.

"Joey..." Charlie squeezed Joey's hand in warning.

"We have to go" the man pulled his hand cuffs from his belt and stepped towards Charlie. Joey instantly stepped in front of her shaking girlfriend and tensed as if waiting to react should he come any closer.

"Hold it Strauss!" Watson stated angrily "There's no need for cuffs. She's not a criminal so there's no need to treat her like one!"

"But..."

"Wait for me in the car" Watson said without taking her eyes from Joey and Charlie "And tell the others to get out of here..."

The man rolled his eyes but did as he was asked.

"I'm sorry" Watson stepped forward when the other police officers had left "You _have _to come to the station Charlie. This is serious. Drugs were found in your house!"

"But they're not mine" Charlie protested feebly "I've never seen them before"

"You still have to come with me. You know how this works"

"I'm not letting you do this!" Joey exclaimed firmly as she tightened her grip on the older girl.

"Joey, you have to!" Watson implored "If you get yourself arrested which you're well on the way to doing...Who's going to look after Ruby?"

Joey appeared torn as she shook her head vehemently.

"It's a mistake" Charlie said from behind her "It has to be...We'll sort it out"

Joey turned around to face Charlie "You're not going Charlie! You haven't done anything!"

"I have to go" Charlie said bravely "Look after Ruby for me, okay?"

"No, this isn't right..." Joey mumbled agonizingly "Charlie..."

"If I don't go willingly they're going to make me..." Charlie leaned forward and kissed Joey softly, allowing her lips to linger for a long moment.

Watson looked away in an attempt to give them some privacy.

"I love you Joey" Charlie said tearfully when she pulled away.

"I love you too" Joey whispered, still hanging on tightly to the other girl.

"You have to let go Jo..." when Joey still didn't release her Charlie pulled away forcefully and stepped back. She walked out of the room with one last tearful glance towards Joey.

---

Joey and Ruby walked slowly behind Watson, hanging onto each other's hands tightly.

"Ready?" Watson questioned when they stopped next to a door.

Joey and Ruby nodded unsurely.

Watson pushed open the door and entered with the other two girls behind her.

"Charlie..." Ruby muttered when her eyes landed on her sister. She was slouched at the table in the centre of the room; shoulders slumped in defeat and face tearstained.

Charlie looked up from where she sat at the table to see Joey and Ruby staring at her "Hey"

Joey managed nothing more than a shaky smile.

"Hey" Ruby attempted to smile "Orange isn't really you colour Charlz. We really need to get you ou..." Ruby trailed off as her voice cracked and her expression crumbled into sadness.

Charlie swallowed back her tears and stood up from her chair "Come here" Ruby rushed quickly into her offered embrace and Charlie struggled to hold her tears back as she held tightly to her daughter.

Joey looked on guiltily as both girls clutched each other tightly.

"Joey..." Charlie looked over at Joey and held out her free arm "Get over here"

Joey moved unsurely towards her girlfriend and found herself engulfed in a desperate embrace which she returned just as enthusiastically.

After a couple of tearful moments all three girls seemed to remember Watson's presence at the same time and pulled away from the embrace to glance at her uncomfortably.

"Charlie..." Watson moved towards Charlie and gazed at her in sympathy "How are you doing?"

"How do you think I'm doing?!" Charlie exclaimed tearfully "I've been stuck in a cell for TWO DAYS Watson. I haven't done anything..."

"I know that" Watson nodded slowly "But you had drugs in your possession and there was an accusation made against you"

"This is ridiculous" Charlie sniffled "Why would anyone do that?!"

"I don't know..." Watson appeared just as confused.

"What if I go down for this?!" Charlie asked hysterically "Do you know what they'd do to me in prison?! I'm a cop...They'd destroy me!"

"Charlie" Watson attempted to calm the obviously agitated girl but to no avail "You have to calm down"

"Calm down?!" Charlie yelled "Don't tell me to fucking calm down Watson...I'm screwed!"

Watson shot a pleading look at Joey who was gazing at Charlie in pure guilt.

"Charlie..." Joey moved forward and took Charlie's hands in her own "It's going to be okay. I promise, I'll get us out of this"

"How?" Charlie questioned tearfully "There's nothing anybody can do Joey..."

"I'll fix it" Joey promised brushing a strand of hair away from Charlie's tear stained cheek "I promise. I'm not going to let anything at all happen to you"

"You've been granted bail" Watson offered quietly from behind them "Morag sorted it all out, right Joey?"

"Right" Joey nodded "Does that mean she can go home? Today?"

"Yes" Watson answered "Bu she can't leave the country"

"Obviously" Charlie said her voice hoarse from crying.

"Watson?" Joey asked softly "Can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?" she motioned towards the door. Watson nodded and moved out of the room.

"its okay" Joey smiled weakly when she notice Charlie's questioning glance "I'll be back in a minute" she kissed Charlie quickly before she moved out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"I need to see Brett" she informed Watson quietly "As soon as possible"

"Um...okay" Watson frowned in confusion "Are you sure you want to?"

"I don't want to" Joey corrected sadly "I have to...I have to do this" she walked back into the room refusing to meet Watson's eyes.

---

"Brett" Joey nodded stiffly at her brother as she walked into the room where he was sitting at a table.

"Joey" he grinned at her as he watched her sit down opposite him "What's going on? Have you finally seen sense? Came to apologise?"

"No" Joey struggled to remain calm and clenched her hands into fists under the table "I know what you've done Brett...I know that you somehow set Charlie up"

"And?" Brett smirked "There's nothing you can do about it now Jo..."

"I want to make you an offer" Joey said shakily.

"An offer?" Brett echoed curiously "What kind of offer"

"I want you to stop this with Charlie...Get the charges dropped. I don't care how"

"And what do I get out of it?" Brett enquired "What you're doing with her is still wrong. I can't let you..."

"I'll leave her" Joey blurted out the words alone bringing tears to her eyes "If you stop this vendetta against her I'll leave her"

"Okay" Brett nodded "Consider it done...But if you don't stick to your end of the bargain I'll know Joey"

Joey nodded tearfully at him "Fine"

"I'm only doing this for your own good Joey. It's not right..."

"Shut up!" Joey stood up quickly causing her chair to fall to the ground "Don't make a martyr out of yourself Brett...You're being selfish and trying to make me unhappy!"

"Joey..." Brett was clearly shocked at the ferocity from his usually calm sister.

"I hate you!" Joey exclaimed tearfully before she rushed from the room.

---

**Go on and close the curtains  
cause all we need is candle light  
You and me and a bottle of wine  
going to hold you tonight  
Well we know I'm going away  
and how I wish, I wish it weren't so  
So take this wine and drink with me  
let's delay our misery**

"So what was all of this for again?" Charlie smiled as she gestured at the table in front of her. She had walked into the house after talking to Morag only to find Joey waiting her with a beautiful romantic candlelit dinner.

"I just wanted to show how much I love you" Joey said softly, tangling their fingers in the middle of the table "Because I do...I love you so much Charlie"

"I love you too" Charlie beamed at her "But you really should have warned me...I'm not at all dressed for this..." she glanced down at her clothing which consisted of light blue jeans and a black shirt.

"You look perfect" Joey pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's knuckles "You always look absolutely perfect"

Charlie shrugged and blushed brightly "Yeah to you..."

Joey stood up from her seat and pulled Charlie up with her "To anybody with eyes more like it..."

"Thanks Jo" Charlie whispered as she leaned forward and kissed Joey softly.

"You know you mean the world to me right?" Joey asked in a hushed voice "I would do absolutely anything to protect you..."

"I know" Charlie nodded "I know you would but...I don't think anything can protect me from these charges..."

"I can" Joey whispered. She pulled Charlie close and kissed her passionately, not allowing her to respond. Charlie responded quickly and threaded her hands in Joey's dark hair pulling her impossibly close.

"I love you so much" Joey whispered as she backed Charlie against the wall and kissed her way down her neck "You have no idea..."

"I think I do..." Charlie gasped. She pulled Joey back to her lips and kissed her deeply.

"I really want...To...Make...Love to you" Joey said between kisses. She allowed her hand to slips down Charlie's back and rested them lightly on her backside. After a moment she lifted and Charlie instinctively wrapped her legs around Joey's waist. They stumbled to through the hall their kisses never breaking off until Charlie's back slammed into their bedroom door.

"OW!" she laughed.

"Sorry" Joey panted into her neck.

"Don't be" Charlie whispered as she reached behind her to open the door. They stumbled inside, almost falling over themselves in the process but managed to get to the bed first. Joey deposited Charlie gently on the bed behind her.

"I love you" she repeated as she pulled Charlie back into the soft but passionate kiss. She distractedly moved her hands to the buttons on the older girls' shirt and began to unbutton them quickly. She finally managed to pull the shirt from her girlfriend and a moment later her bra was thrown behind them too. She accidently caught the small iPod dock on the bedside table with her hand and music started to play quietly. Joey struggled to push back tears when she heard the song.

**Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow  
tomorrow I'll be gone**

Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow  
tomorrow I'll be gone

"You're so beautiful..." she whispered as she began to kiss her way down the older girls' chest. Charlie arched into the light pressure and released a quiet gasp "Joey..."

Joey couldn't help the tears that began to spill as she rid Charlie of her jeans and briefs before kissing her way back up her stomach.

"Joey?" Charlie questioned when she felt a wetness on her stomach "Are you okay?" she gently pulled Joey back up to her and wiped tenderly at her falling tears "Why are you crying?"

"It doesn't matter right now" Joey leaned down and pressed a soft teary kiss to Charlie's lips "Tonight is all that matters..." she gazed intently into Charlie's bright blue eyes "Have I ever told you that when I look into your eyes I feel like I could get lost in them?"

"No" Charlie gasped as Joey's hand neared her centre "I don't think..." she gasped and arched into the touch when Joey finally pressed a light pressure to her "...So"

"And have I ever told you that I love you more than words can even say?" Joey asked her tears still falling rapidly "That I'll never love anyone like I love you?"

"I love you too" Charlie panted as Joey began to move her hand faster "Joey..."

**There's a log on the fire  
and it burns like me for you  
Tomorrow comes with one desire  
to take me away it's true  
It ain't easy to say goodbye  
darling please don't start to cry  
Cause girl you know I've got to go, oh  
Lord I wish it wasn't so**

Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow  
tomorrow I'll be gone

"Remember this" Joey said softly "No matter what happens...Save tonight in your memories Charlie...Because it'll be in mine"

"Oh God Joey I'm..." Charlie arched slightly as light exploded behind her eyes. When she was able to think clearly she noticed that she was in Joey's tight embrace.

"Never forget..." Joey whispered kissing her way down Charlie's neck "And don't let go..."

Charlie was about to ask what she meant when Joey reclaimed her lips in the tenderest kiss she had ever received and all thoughts flew from her head.

**Save tonight  
and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow  
tomorrow I'll be gone**

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews guys. They really do mean a lot. Thanks for the PM LivingTheDays. I'm really glad you like the fic! Oh and Thanks for the idea AuthorW (I'll keep that in mind). Hope you all enjoy the chapter even though it's quite angsty...Just remember...It WILL get better ;) **

Chapter 37

Joey glanced over at Charlie for the millionth time and sighed softly to herself. She had been awake for hours just watching the older girl sleep peacefully with no idea of what was to come. Joey shifted onto her side and raised a hand to Charlie's cheek caressing it gently with her fingertips "This really is for the best..." Charlie stirred slightly and moved closer to Joey but otherwise showed no sign of waking. Joey pressed a soft kiss to her girlfriend's cheek before she got up and pulled her clothes on quickly. With on last glance at Charlie she left the room.

"Joey!"

Joey jumped slightly and turned around to face Ruby "Rubz...What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Ruby frowned in confusion "I live here remember?"

"Of course I remember" Joey laughed nervously and moved her hand to the back of her neck "I just didn't expect you to be up so soon..."

"Right" Ruby nodded though she was still puzzled by Joey's behaviour "Well I have to go to school so I guess I'll...."

"NO!"

Ruby started slightly at Joey's sudden exclamation "What? What's wrong?!"

"Um...Nothing" Joey quietened down and looked sheepishly at Ruby "I just wanted to talk to you. I Mean I _really_ need to talk to you"

"Sounds serious" Ruby glanced at the clock "I have quite a while before school starts so...Talk away I suppose"

"Right...That's good" Joey walked over to Ruby and took her hands. She guided her over to the couch and pushed her down onto it gently "I'll be back in a minute..."

"Okay..." Ruby watched as Joey left the room feeling concern begin to set in. A few minutes later Joey walked back into the room with a Cup of steaming liquid in her hand. She sat down on the couch and turned to Ruby.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby blurted out in pure concern "Is something wrong with you or Charlie? Is it the case?"

"Nothing's wrong" Joey set her coffee and looked up at Ruby "I just really needed to talk to you about something..."

"About what?" Ruby prompted nervously "C'mon on Joey you're kind of scaring me here..."

"Sorry" Joey sighed quietly "It's just...You know that I love Charlie, right? I would never let anything happen to her if I could stop it...Even if it meant hurting myself by doing it or even hurting her"

"I know that" Ruby nodded slowly "But what do you mean hurt her? I don't un..."

"And I love you too" Joey interrupted her "You're like my little sister. Protecting you and Charlie is my first priority"

"Yeah, I know" Ruby replied softly "I..."

"And it means a lot to me that you just accepted me into your family" Joey continued haltingly "You accepted me and my relationship with Charlie and treated me like...Well like family"

Ruby appeared at a loss for what to say "Well you are family"

"I'm sorry I've caused so much trouble for you and Charlie" Joey said pushing back tears in her eyes "I really didn't mean for any of that to happen. Colin, Robbo, Brett, The police..."

"Hey" Ruby slid closer to the older girl on the couch and grasped her hand comfortingly "None of that is your fault, okay? It's theirs. Not yours. You have absolutely nothing to apologise for Joey..."

"You know" Joey smiled at the teenager "You're a really good sister or daughter or...Whatever. Just...Make sure you look after Charlie okay? Because you have no idea how much she loves you Rubz. You're her pride and joy"

Ruby blushed and looked away bashfully "Yeah, well the feelings mutual" she frowned when she realised what Joey had said "But wait you're going to look after her too, right?"

"Right" Joey lied hesitantly "Of course"

"So I should be getting to school" Ruby said as she stood up "I'll see you later" when Joey merely gazed at her sadly Ruby continued "I will see you later, right? I mean you're not going out anywhere, are you?"

"Of course" Joey smiled weakly "I'll...see you later" she stood up and pulled Ruby towards her into a tight hug.

"Joey?" Ruby said after a moment "I can't breathe"

"Oh...Sorry" Joey reluctantly pulled away from the younger girl "I guess you should go to school or you'll be late"

"Yeah" as if sensing Joey's sadness Ruby hugged her quickly before pulling back "See you later Jo..."

"Bye Rubz" Joey watched as Ruby walked from the room. She listened for the sound of the door banging before she slumped back down on the couch, tears filling her eyes.

---

Charlie walked out of the bedroom and smiled to herself when she saw Joey sitting on the couch "Joey..."

Joey looked up at her and offered a small smile "Charlie"

Charlie sunk down on the couch and wrapped an arm around Joey's waist "You weren't there when I woke up..."

The words brought tears back to Joey's eyes and she pulled Charlie closer, feeling the need to have her as close as possible "Sorry Babe"

"I think you wore me out last night" Charlie yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Here" Joey reached over Charlie and picked up the coffee which was cooling quickly "I think it's still warm..."

"Mmmn" Charlie hummed in satisfaction as she sipped at the warm coffee "Thanks Jo...Got a kiss to go with it by any chance?"

"Anything for you" Joey smiled before she pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips.

"Last night really was amazing" Charlie smiled contentedly into Joey's shoulder "What did I ever do to deserve you Jo?"

"Must be Karma or something" Joey said softly as she gazed sadly down at her girlfriend.

"I love you Joey" Charlie said looking up suddenly.

"I love you too" Joey smiled back at her "You have no idea how much..."

Charlie tilted her head slightly to the side and gazed at Joey closely "Have you been crying?" she reached out and traced the incredibly faint tear trails with her fingertips.

"Yeah" Joey turned her face slightly and kissed Charlie's palm "I was just thinking about this, the case, you..."

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Charlie asked in concern "You were crying last night too. And you wouldn't tell me what was wrong than either"

"I was just really happy to have you back" Joey forced herself to lie "It's nothing. Honestly Charlie"

"If anything's wrong you can tell me" Charlie said sincerely "You know I'll do anything for you..."

"I know" Joey smiled weakly "Thanks Charlie. But there's really nothing wrong." She quickly attempted to change the conversation "So what are you doing today?"

"Going to the station to talk to Watson about the case" Charlie answered. When she noticed Joey's expression drop she misinterpreted the reason and tightened her arms around Joey "It'll be fine Jo. We'll get through this. We have to"

"I know we will" Joey nodded slowly. She turned and kissed Charlie's head lightly.

"I have to go or Watson will kill me" Charlie said pulling herself reluctantly from Joey's embrace "Don't miss me too much...I probably won't be home until late"

"I definitely will" Joey stood up next to Charlie and pulled her close. She moved forward slightly and kissed the older girl slowly, giving all she had to that one kiss.

"Wow" Charlie panted breathlessly when they pulled away for air "I have to go before I decide not to..." she moved to pull away but found Joey wouldn't let her "Joey Honey you have to let go"

"I don't want to" Joey confessed softly still holding onto Charlie as tightly as possible.

"But you have to" Charlie pulled Joey into a comforting hug "Unless..." she pulled back and looked into Joey's brown eyes "There's something wrong. In which case I won't leave you"

"I'm fine" Joey said softly forcing herself to release her grip around Charlie's waist "Now go before you're late"

"Okay..." Charlie kissed her girlfriend quickly before pulling away and walking backwards toward the door "See you later"

"Bye" Joey replied softly "Oh and Charlie?"

"Yeah?" Charlie questioned as she stopped upon reaching the door.

"I love you" Joey said solemnly.

"I love you too" Charlie smiled before she blew Joey a kiss and walked out of the door.

Joey slumped back onto the couch and finally allowed tears to fall from her eyes.

---

Joey exhaled deeply and glanced around their bedroom one last time before she picked up her bags from the floor "I have to do this..." she moved into the living room and dropped her bag on the ground again. She pulled two letters from her back pocket and placed them onto the table, tears once again welling in her eyes.

"Charlie..." she whispered as she gently traced the older girls name with her fingertips.

"Joey, I'm ho..."

Joey looked up quickly and her eyes fell upon Charlie who had stopped in the doorway "Charlie! What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be back until later..."

"Uh...The charges were dropped or something" Charlie answered her gaze still fixed on the bag on the ground "And somebody confessed to planting the drugs..." she raised her dread filled eyes to Joey's "What are the bags for?"

Joey looked guiltily down at the bags and then at the letters on the table. Charlie followed her gaze and her eyes widened in horror when she saw them.

"No..." she muttered quietly "Joey please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing..."

"I have to..." Joey said weakly "I have to do this to protect you and Ruby"

"Joey, you can't leave me!" Charlie exclaimed tears beginning to form in her blue eyes as she rushed over to Joey "I love you!"

"I love you too" Joey sniffled quietly "that's why I have to do this..."

"No you don't!" Charlie protested firmly "Everything's going to be fine now Jo. The charges have been dropped and...We can get on with our lives! You don't have to leave"

"I didn't want it to be like this" Joey said refusing to meet Charlie's equally tearful eyes "I wanted..."

"What?" Charlie sniffled "You wanted to leave us without even saying anything?!"

"I have to go" Joey repeated softly "I can't be with you anymore Charlie...I'm sorry. I have to protect you and Ruby first and foremost and...You're both a hell of a lot safer without me here"

"We don't need to be protected" Charlie said tearfully "What the hell gives you the right to say that we're better off without you? We need you here with us..._I_ need you here!"

"I'm sorry" Joey swallowed heavily against the lump in her throat "I'm so sorry Charlie..."

"So what was last night?" Charlie asked on the verge of sobbing "Goodbye? Our 'Last Time'?!"

"Yes" Joey nodded honestly "It was our last time..."

"Please Jo..." Charlie grabbed Joey's hands in her own "You can't just leave me. You can't let what we have go after all we've been through...I know that still love me"

"Of course I still love you" Joey stated her eyes still trained on where Charlie grasped her hands tightly "But...the hardest part of loving someone is knowing when to let go and knowing when to say goodbye"

"Why won't you look at me?" Charlie whispered tearfully "Joey..."

"If I look at you..." Joey said in a hushed voice finally letting tears fall from her eyes "If I look into your eyes I won't be able to leave you. I'll want to stay with you and...I can't do that"

"Joey I need..."

"Shhh" Joey said softly "Don't say anything Charlie..." unable to withstand the temptation any longer she looked up at Charlie but refused to look directly into her teary blue eyes "This is something I have to do. I'm sorry..." she pulled one hand away from Charlie's and dug through her pocket searching for something.

"I need you!" Charlie repeated as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I know" Joey pulled her hand from her pocket having finally found what she was looking for and raised it to Charlie's cheek, wiping her tears away tenderly "You'll be okay..." she finally pulled her other hand from Charlie and opened the older girl's clenched fist gently.

"I can't do this without you" Charlie said softly "I love you Joey..."

"I love you too" Joey placed something in Charlie's hand and closed her fist around it "I'll never stop loving you Charlie. You have to believe that..."

Charlie released a soft sob when she felt Joey's ring in her hand "Stay with me..."

"I can't" Joey moved forward and kissed Charlie softly "I'm sorry Charlie. Tell Ruby I'm...Sorry" she picked up her bag and flung one over her shoulder.

Charlie could do nothing but watch "Joey..."

"I love you so much" Joey cast a sad look at Charlie before she moved away "Never forget that..." with that said she walked out of the room and out of the house.

"Joey..." Charlie whispered sniffing against her tears "JOEY?!" she collapsed to the ground as sobs shook her frame.

"JOEY?!" She yelled loudly.

---

Charlie sat silently on the ground apart from the occasional shuddering sob that escaped her as tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

"Joey..." she whispered quietly.

"Joey?" Aden called out cheerfully as he walked through the kitchen towards the living room "Charlie? Are you guys' home? The door was o..." he stopped short when his gaze fell on Charlie on the ground and he noticed the state she was in "CHARLIE!" he moved quickly over to her and dropped to his knees on the ground next to her "What happened? Is it Joey?"

"She left me Aden" Charlie lifted her heartbroken eyes to meet Aden's "She's left me..."

Aden pulled Charlie into his arms as she broke into quiet sobs. She buried her face in his chest as her tears flowed uncontrollably "She left me..."

The man merely held her tighter as he tried to overcome his own confusion. He started slightly as Charlie's sobs began to grow harder and she gripped his shirt so tightly in her hands that her knuckles turned white.

"Charlie you have to calm down or you're going to make yourself sick" Aden spoke gently as he pulled away by a fraction to look into the girl's pain filled eyes. He wiped away her tears gently with his thumbs and looked at her pleadingly "Charlie?"

"She's gone" Charlie said tearfully "I don't know what to do Aden..."

"its okay" Aden pulled Charlie back into his embrace and held her tightly to him "It's okay..." after a while he noticed Charlie's silent sobs slowing down and that she had relaxed against him "Charlie?" he looked down at her to see she was half asleep. He rearranged their position and stood up with Charlie in his arms. He walked slowly to Charlie and entered the bedroom he knew she shared with Joey.

"Okay..." he set her gently down on the bed and stepped back.

"Aden?" Charlie asked hoarsely "Do you think Joey will come back?"

"I don't know" Aden sat down on the edge of the bed and took Charlie's hand in both of his own "I don't know Charlie"

Charlie gazed up silently up at him as tears fell from her eyes.

"Can I get anything for you?" Aden asked softly "Is there anything you need?"

"Joey..."

"I'm sorry" The man muttered "I wish I could do something to help with her..."

"Ruby" Charlie said quietly "I need Ruby Aden..."

"I'll call her" Aden released Charlie's hand and stood up from the bed "It'll be okay" he leaned down and kissed her forehead before he walked out of the room.

"What is going on?" he sighed to himself as he slumped down on the couch and put his head into his hands. After a moment he noticed Charlie's cell phone on the couch and picked it up. He looked quickly through her phonebook and finally finding Ruby's number dialled it.

"Charlie?" Ruby questioned when she answered her phone "What's up?"

"It's Aden" Aden answered quietly "I..."

"Where's Charlie?!" Ruby questioned in worry "Is she Okay? Is she hurt? What about Joey? Has something happened to them?"

"Ruby..." Aden attempted to talk but found her couldn't get a word in edgeways as Ruby continued firing her worry fuelled questions at him. He finally whistled loudly down the phone.

"OW!" Ruby exclaimed "What was that for?!"

"You need to get home as soon as possible" Aden said "I'll tell you what's going on when you get here"

"Okay" By the sound of her voice Ruby was already sprinting towards the house "I'm close...I'll be there in two minutes"

Aden hung up the phone and dropped it at his side. Exactly one minute thirty seconds later Ruby burst through the door breathless and with a stitch in her side.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly "Where are Charlie and Joey?" she stood up straight and gazed at him intently "Aden?!"

"Joey broke up with her" Aden answered softly "She's gone..."

Ruby's breath caught in her throat and her heart constricted painfully in her chest "Where is Charlie Aden?"

"She was a mess. I thought she was going to make herself sick so I put her to bed. She was asking for you...Said she needs you Ruby"

"I have to go to her" Ruby said quietly.

"You can stay in there with her" Aden offered thoughtfully "I'll stick around and wait for Leah to get home..."

"Okay" Ruby smiled weakly at him "Thanks Ade" she moved quickly to Charlie's room and opened the door slowly.

"Charlie?" she called softly when her eyes fell on her mother who was facing away from her.

Charlie turned over to face Ruby "Rubz..." she held out her arms for the younger girl. Ruby kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed with the older girl. She found herself immediately wrapped in a tight embrace and returned it just as desperately.

"She left us" Charlie sobbed softly, her body too exhausted from crying for anything but tears and soft shudders.

"I know" Ruby whispered as tears built up in her own eyes.

"She forgot her I-pod again..." Charlie sniffled. For the first time since entering the room Ruby noticed that soft music was playing. She tightened her hold in response. After a while Charlie fell asleep in Ruby's arms because of her exhaustion.

Ruby looked down and noticed Charlie's fist was closed tightly around something. She gently opened it and tear began to fall when she noticed it was Joey's ring.

"Damn It Joey, what the hell are you doing?!" After a matter of minutes Ruby too fell asleep and Charlie's fist automatically closed protectively around the ring.

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews! Here's another update...I feel kind of bad for giving them so much angst to deal with so I'm gonna change that really soon! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter...

Chapter 38

Ruby padded slowly towards Charlie's bedroom door with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands and tapped lightly on the door "Charlie?" when she received no answer she sighed to herself and entered the room "Charlie?!"

"Go 'Way" Charlie mumbled from where she had buried herself completely under the covers.

Ruby released a sigh and set the coffee on the nightstand "Charlie, you need to get up!" she gazed expectantly down at the older girl hidden under the covers but when she merely received an annoyed grunt she pulled the covers back off her.

"Ruuuby!" Charlie groaned as she turned over and buried her face in her pillow "Leave me alone!" when Ruby didn't answer her and remained standing over her Charlie finally looked up at her "Ruby..."

"I'm not leaving you alone when you're in this state" Ruby plopped down onto the bed next to Charlie "Now drink..." she took the cup from the bedside table and offered it to Charlie.

Charlie sat up in the bed and accepted the cup, if only to keep Ruby from worrying too much about her. She sipped tentatively at the hot liquid before she lowered it and turned her gaze to her hands "I'm a mess"

"You're not a..." when Charlie looked at her incredulously Ruby changed her statement slightly "Okay, maybe you are a little bit of a mess" she wrapped her arm comfortingly around Charlie's shoulders "But that's completely understandable in the situation. I'm having a bit of trouble with it myself"

Charlie leaned slightly into her daughter "I'm sorry Rubz. I'm being totally selfish just sitting around here moping all day..."

"Hey" Ruby nudged Charlie lightly and leaned her head against the older girls where it rested on her shoulder "You have every right to be upset right now Charlie. I'm not going pretend that I know what you're going through but...If you need me I'm here for you. If you need to yell go ahead and yell, if you need to cry I'm right here and if you need to talk you can. I'm not going anywhere"

As if on cue Charlie released a shuddery breath "You know if you say things like that you might actually make me start crying again"

"You can if you need to" Ruby shrugged "Anything you need...I'm right here honestly"

"I don't understand this" Charlie murmured softly, sadness seeping into her voice "I don't understand why she doesn't want to be with me anymore...Do you think I did something Rubz?"

"No" Ruby replied instantly "You didn't do anything Charlie. Joey said that she was protecting you or something..."

"Wait...How do you know that?!" Charlie straightened up and gazed at Ruby in surprise "Did she tell you that she was going to leave me?" there was no anger in her voice only a sadness that caused Ruby to wince.

"No...I read the letter. I told you that remember? Don't you think that if I knew Joey was planning on leaving that I would have done something?!"

"Yeah..." Charlie sighed and ran a hand irritably through her slightly messy hair "Sorry Rubz. I'm just...So confused"

"I know" Ruby placed a hand comfortingly on Charlie's arm "its okay"

"Did you notice that she was acting weird at all?" Charlie asked softly "Before you left for school?"

"When I think about it..." Ruby bit her lip in contemplation "She did seem really upset. She said that she loves us and that everything she does is to try to protect us. That it's her main priority. Then she thanked me for accepting her and she...Made sure that I would look after you"

"Oh..." Charlie's shoulders slumped slightly in defeat "I guess that means she's not planning on coming back anytime soon than"

Ruby remained silent unsure of how to respond to the statement.

"I don't understand this..." Charlie murmured quietly "I don't understand how she could just leave me after all that we've been through together. She says that she still loves me but...If she loved me wouldn't she still be here?"

"Maybe you should read the letter" Ruby said cautiously "It might explain why she did what she did..."

"No" Charlie immediately shook her head "I don't want to read it" she looked over at the letter with her name on, lying on the bedside table.

"But Charlie..."

"I don't know what to do" Charlie interrupted her voice growing clogged with tears "It's like she just expects me to let her go like...Like I don't Love her with all my heart!"

"Well than don't accept it" Ruby said quietly "Do you remember what I said when Joey was leaving?" she stopped but continued speaking at Charlie's blank stare "Fight for her Charlie! Don't let her go without a fight..."

"She doesn't want to be fought for" Charlie whispered sadly as her gaze dropped once again to her lap "She doesn't want to be found Rubz...There's nothing I can do..."

"There has to be something!" Ruby insisted.

Charlie shook her head causing her unshed tears to flow down her cheeks "We were meant to be getting married...And she just left me!"

"If Joey thought that by leaving you she was protecting you, I'm sure there's a good reason" Ruby offered softly.

"I told her the charges had been dropped" Charlie said quietly "I told her that it would be okay, but she left anyway. Maybe the whole 'protecting me' thing was just because she wanted to leave me..."

"Joey _loves_ you!" Ruby pointed out strongly "You know that she does Charlie..."

"Obviously not enough!" Charlie snapped. After a moment of silence she reached for Ruby's hand and held it lightly "Sorry Ruby. I didn't mean to yell at you. I didn't even mean to..."

"What?" Ruby squeezed Charlie's hand urging her to continue.

"I said that Joey doesn't love me" Charlie said tearfully "And now I feel guilty for saying it and I feel terrible because I'm suddenly wondering if she does love me"

"Charlz..."

"I need her" Charlie said despairingly "I need her here with me Ruby...I just don't know what to do. I feel so lost and confused and it HURTS!"

"I know" Ruby said sadly, tears glazing over her own eyes.

"It sounds stupid..." Charlie laughed tearfully as she released Ruby's hand and pulled her knees to her chest wrapping her arms securely around them "But I honestly thought that nothing would ever make Joey leave me again. That our relationship was indestructible because we loved each other. I guess I was wrong..."

"Maybe you should just..."

"I'm not reading the letter" Charlie sighed and leaned her head on her knees.

"Why not?" Ruby questioned in confusion "I don't understand why you don't want to know why she left..."

"If I open that letter and I find out that she's never planning on coming back...I don't know what I'll do" Charlie whispered.

"It could be important" the younger girl pointed out.

"I don't care" Charlie shrugged listlessly "I don't want to read it..." they fell into silence for a moment.

"So are you going to get up?" Ruby asked quietly.

Charlie nodded in response.

"Good!" Ruby exclaimed "Why don't we go to the diner?"

"I don't think that's a good idea" Charlie responded "I don't really feel like going out today. Anyways I look a mess"

"You look fine!" Ruby argued "Come on Charlie, you haven't been out or even eaten for over a week. You're really worrying me and...If you don't mind me saying if you stay inside any longer you will look a mess. Repeat after me...Sunlight is gooood. You need UV Rays and Food stat! I'm sure Rachel would agree with me"

Charlie offered her daughter a small smile "Look Rubz I know you're trying to make me feel better and just looking after me bu..."

"I won't take no for an answer!" Ruby stood from the bed and gazed pleadingly at the older girl "Pleaaase Charlie?"

"Fine" Charlie conceded after a moment of being subjected to the puppy dog look "But not for very long and I need to shower and stuff first"

"Then you better go do that!" Ruby smiled "We leave in half an hour!"

---

"See?" Ruby smiled as they walked out of the diner "Don't you feel better?" she linked her arm with the older girl's as they walked.

Charlie hesitated to answer. On a physical level she did feel slightly better but emotionally she felt worse.

"Yeah" she finally nodded "A little bit..."

"She might come back yet" Ruby said quietly as she noticed the sadness in Charlie's voice "She could realise that what you two have is worth fighting for."

"I hope so" Charlie said softly "I just...I wish I knew where she was..."

"HEY!" a male voice yelled suddenly "CHARLIE!"

Charlie stopped and turned around to see who was shouting to her. Her expression immediately dropped when she noticed that Hugo was jogging towards her "This is just what I need today..."

"Hey" Hugo said softly as he stopped at their side "Can you give us a minute Ruby?" he kept his eyes trained on Charlie.

Ruby looked at Charlie questioningly. When Charlie nodded the teenager motioned a short distance away "I'll just be over there...Just yell if you need me, okay?"

"Okay" Charlie nodded. She watched as her daughter walked away before she turned back to Hugo "What do you want Hugo?"

"I just wanted to see if you're okay" Hugo answered innocently "I heard that Joey broke up with you and I thought..."

"Where did you hear that?" Charlie asked in shock. The only people who knew about the break up apart from herself and Joey were Ruby and Aden. Neither of whom were the type of people to gossip.

"Word gets around town fast" Hugo shrugged "I guess somebody must have known..."

"Oh..." Charlie sighed and looked over Hugo's shoulder to see Aden talking to Ruby a short distance away "I'm coping...Was that all you wanted...?"

"Well not really" Hugo shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets "I was kind of wondering if you wanted to go out sometime...Since you're not dating Joey anymore"

Charlie gaped at him in shock "Are you kidding me? You actually think I would want to go out with anyone, let alone _you_ just after I've broken up with my Fiancé?!"

"Well I knew that the two of you weren't going to last" Hugo said defensively "So I don't see what difference it would make really. I mean she was just an experiment, right? You were just waiting for the right ma...?" he was cut off as Charlie lost control of her emotions and punched him hard.

"IT'S NARROW MINDED BASTARDS LIKE YOU AND HER BROTHER WHO CAUSED HER TO LEAVE ME!" She yelled angrily as she shoved him backwards.

"What..." Hugo stared at her in shock as she advanced on him "Charlie..."

"SHUT UP!" Charlie yelled tearfully "If it wasn't for people like you I would still be with her..." she threw another punch which Hugo narrowly stepped out of the way of.

Suddenly she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and she struggled valiantly against them "LET ME GO!"

"Charlie..." Aden said calmly into her ear "You have to calm down. You know you can't do this. It's not all his fault..."

"It is!" Charlie turned around in the man's hold to face him "It is Aden. Let me go!" she attempted to push him backwards but he held on tightly, refusing the release her.

"LET ME GO!" Charlie sobbed uncontrollably as she hammered weakly against Aden's chest with her fists "Aden..."

"I'm not letting you go" Aden said softly. After a moment Charlie fell fully into Aden's embrace and they sank to the ground together.

"It's okay..." Aden said softly.

"I didn't mean to..." Hugo started guiltily "I was just..."

"Get out of here!" Ruby said angrily from where she had knelt on the ground next to Charlie and Aden.

Hugo didn't move and Aden looked up at him angrily "You heard what she said...GO!" Hugo rushed off quickly with only a fleeting look back.

Aden refocused on the sobbing girl in his arms and he tightened his embrace. He glanced to his left at Ruby who appeared just as tearful and he pulled her close to him with his free arm.

---

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Aden asked anxiously as he watched Charlie rush to her bedroom. He turned back to Ruby who had sat down on the couch.

"I don't know" Ruby said sadly "I hope so...Have you found Joey yet?"

"Not yet" Aden dropped down on the couch next to her "It's like she doesn't want to be found Ruby. I don't know what's going on..."

"Joey seems to think that she's protecting us from something" Ruby responded softly "But...I think it's hurting us more that she's not here than anything else could" she looked up at Aden and shrugged tearfully "I don't know..."

"I'll find her" Aden said quietly as he wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders "I'll make sure of it..."

---

Charlie slumped down onto her bed and pressed play on Joey's IPod which was still connected to the dock. She inhaled deeply when she realised which song had begun to play and reached for Joey's letter slowly. She gazed intently at it for a moment before she opened the envelope carefully and pulled the letter out.

**I didn't hear you leave**

**I wonder how am I still here, **

**And I don't want to move a thing, **

**It might change my memory, **

Charlie,

I know that if you're reading this you've probably realised that I've left. Please don't think that I'm leaving because I don't love you anymore. On the contrary, I love you too much...Too much to allow either you or Ruby to be hurt because of me or my so-called 'Family'. I have to do this...To protect you. I know how much this will be hurting you but I can't let Brett do any more damage than he already has. Remember that I love now and always and that I would give anything to be with you...Anything but your safety and well being.

Love,

Joey

**Oh I am what I am, **

**I'll do what I want, **

**But I can't hide, **

**And I won't go, **

**I won't sleep, **

**I can't breathe until you're resting here with me, **

**And I won't leave, **

**I can't hide, **

**I cannot be until you're resting here with me, **

Charlie pulled Joey's pillow into her arms and buried her face in it, inhaling the lingering scent of her girlfriend as tears rolled relentlessly down her cheeks and images filled her head.

**I don't want to call my friends, **

**For they might wake me from this dream, **

**And I can't leave this bed, **

**Risk forgetting all that's been**

"_Joey?" Charlie questioned when she felt a wetness on her stomach "Are you okay?" she gently pulled Joey back up to her and wiped tenderly at her falling tears "Why are you crying?"_

"_It doesn't matter right now" Joey leaned down and pressed a soft teary kiss to Charlie's lips "Tonight is all that matters..." she gazed intently into Charlie's bright blue eyes "Have I ever told you that when I look into your eyes I feel like I could get lost in them?"_

"_No" Charlie gasped as Joey's hand neared her centre "I don't think..." she gasped and arched into the touch when Joey finally pressed a light pressure to her "...So"_

"_And have I ever told you that I love you more than words can even say?" Joey asked her tears still falling rapidly "That I'll never love anyone like I love you?"_

---

**Oh I am what I am, **

**I'll do what I want, **

**But I can't hide, **

**And I won't go, **

**I won't sleep, **

**I can't breathe until you're resting here with me, **

**And I won't leave, **

**I can't hide, **

**I cannot be until you're resting here with me, **

"This is for the best" Joey said softly as she swiped at her tears with her hand. She lifted the collar of the t-shirt she was wearing (Charlie's) over her nose and Inhaled deeply the scent of the older girl filling her senses as she closed her eyes. She allowed tears to spill quickly and she released a quiet sob.

"Charlie..."

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Ruby paced anxiously back and forth in front of the couch where Aden sat, his eyes following her frantic movements.

"Ruby!" he exclaimed as he suddenly found himself growing dizzy "Could you stop pacing for a minute? You're going to wear a hole into the carpet"

"Sorry" Ruby stopped pacing and slumped down onto the chair opposite him "I'm just really nervous. I don't know why I can't go with her"

"You're underage" Aden reminded her gently "And Charlie will be fine. I promise I won't let anything happen to her"

"Charlie's _hurting_!" Ruby persisted sadly "She's in pain Aden. There's no telling what she would do in this state of mind. I'm going to be freaking out all night because I can't..."

"Can't what?" Aden prodded curiously. He leaned forward and watched Ruby intently.

"I need to be with her, okay?!" Ruby responded "I need to know that she's okay"

"I'll be there?" Aden offered hopefully.

Ruby sighed and shot him a worried look "It's not the same though. I need to know that she's safe. That's she's not going to get herself hurt or arrested. I can't know that if I'm not there with her. Charlie's..."

"She's what?"Aden asked softly.

"She's all I have left" Ruby looked away as tears formed in her eyes "Joey's just taken off and left us. If I lose Charlie I don't know what I'd do Aden"

"Hey" Aden stood up and moved over to sit next to Ruby "You're not going to lose Charlie, Ruby. I won't let her do anything stupid"

Ruby didn't appear convinced and merely shrugged in response.

"How are you holding up, anyway?" Aden questioned in concern "With Joey being gone it must be tough..."

"It is" Ruby nodded slowly "It's really hard. I'm trying to stay optimistic for Charlie by defending Joey's actions but...I'm really pissed off at her"

"I understand that" the man said quietly "But there must be a reason for what she's doing..."

"Maybe" Ruby mumbled thoughtfully.

"Hey!" Charlie said as she entered the room. She paused when she noticed Ruby's slightly defeated look "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine" Ruby reassured her as she stood up "Right Aden?"

"Right" Aden agreed hesitantly.

"You look great" Ruby said with a hint of sadness in her voice as she looked into the older girls' which seemed to speak volumes of pain.

"Thanks" Charlie offered her a small smile as she looked down at herself. She was wearing dark jeans and a red shirt "I wasn't really going for 'great' but..."

Ruby frowned as Charlie trailed off "Oh"

"So are you ready to go?" Charlie asked as she looked over at Aden who had stood up next to Ruby.

"Yeah" Aden nodded. He looked between Charlie and Joey and motioned towards the door "I'll wait outside for you, okay Charlie?"

"Thanks Ade" Charlie smiled weakly as she watched him walk out. She grabbed her black leather jacket from the arm of the couch and pulled it on quickly before turning her gaze back to Ruby who looked as if she was about to burst into tears "Are you okay Rubz?"

Ruby shook her head and moved forward enveloping Charlie in a tight hug "Do you really have to go?" her voice was slightly muffled by tears and Charlie's shoulder.

Charlie nodded trying to push back her own advancing tears as she smoothed her hand comfortingly over Ruby's hair "Yeah...I'm sorry Rubz. I just need to get out of the house for a while, okay? It'll be good for me...You said yourself I shouldn't be moping around"

"I didn't say that" Ruby argued quietly "I said you should get out because It would make you feel better. You have every right to be upset"

Charlie pulled back slightly to look at the younger girl "I'll be fine, okay? Don't worry yourself about me"

"Okay" Ruby sighed sadly "But be careful Okay? And don't get into any trouble...No drinking too much either. I'll know when you get home"

Charlie raised her eyebrows in surprise "Wow. That was some role reversal. Impressive"

"I'm serious" Ruby said firmly.

"I know" Charlie pulled Ruby close to her and dropped a kiss on her head "I'll be fine Rubz"

"Right" Ruby nodded though she still looked worried "You'd better go...Aden's waiting for you"

Charlie nodded and started towards the door "I have my phone if you need me"

"Okay...Charlie?" Ruby asked stopping Charlie from leaving the room.

"Yeah?"

"I love you"

"I love you too" Charlie smiled lightly at her daughter before she walked out of the room.

---

Charlie sipped at her drink and looked around the rather loud but calm bar she was standing in. It was crowded and music flowed through the room.

"I'm sorry about this" Charlie said as she leaned close to Aden in order to be heard over the pounding of the music "I really didn't mean to drag you away from Belle like this"

"Don't worry about it" Aden reassured her "I'm happy to be here. You know I'll help out in any way I can"

"Thanks" Charlie offered him a shaky smile "It's just so hard without her with me. I really thought that nothing could separate us"

Aden reached for Charlie's hand and squeezed it reassuringly as he noticed tears surfacing in her blue eyes "I'm sure that Joey had a good reason for what she did. You know that she loves you. Only something big could have pulled her away from you"

"I know that" Charlie nodded tearfully "I just wish she had talked to me first instead of running off and leaving me with no idea where she is or if she's sa...Aden?" she frowned as she noticed the man was staring in shock over her shoulder "What's wrong?"

"Uh...Nothing!" Aden snapped back to attention and smiled falsely at Charlie "Nothing's wrong with me..."

Charlie turned around and scanned the bar to see what he was looking at. She sighed when she found she couldn't see anything and stood on her tip-toes. Her jaw dropped slightly when her eyes met familiar dark brown eyes "Oh my God" she turned quickly back around to face Aden "Joey's here...Did you know she would be here?"

"No" Aden shook his head honestly "I didn't. I swear. She hasn't talked to me since before she left"

Charlie looked over her shoulder and her expression dropped in disappointment when she noticed that the space Joey had previously occupied next to the bar was empty "Damn it...I lost my chance. AGAIN!" tears began to build steadily in her eyes.

"Charlie..." Aden pulled the girl close to him and wrapped her in a warm embrace.

"Why does she keep leaving me?!" Charlie mumbled into his chest "I don't understand Ade..."

"I know" Aden said quietly as his eyes scanned the crowd for Joey.

Charlie pulled away after a moment "I have to do something..." she began to walk away but Aden pulled her gently back to him.

"Where are you going Charlie?" he asked in concern "You need to stay with me. I told Ruby I wouldn't let you get hurt" although Charlie hadn't had too much to drink he was still wary of her hurting or embarrassing herself, especially considering her emotional state right then.

"I'm fine" Charlie pulled her arm from his grip and moved through the crowd, leaving her staring after him.

"Damn it" he picked up his drink and drank it quickly, reluctant to leave his position in case Charlie returned. Five minutes later he was about to give up and go after her when the music stopped and a voice caused him to stop still.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" a voice boomed through the microphone "I'd like to introduce this lovely lady with a rendition of 'With or without you'"

"Oh God" Aden cringed slightly when he noticed Charlie on the stage next to a young dark haired man "What the hell is she doing?" he covered his eyes with his hand. He remained like that for a few moments until the music started and he lowered his hand. His eyes widened when they landed on Joey who had moved to stand next to him.

"Joey!" he engulfed her in a tight hug before he pulled back "Um...Do you have any idea what Charlie is doing up there?"

"No idea" Joey shook her head and looked up onto the stage where her eyes immediately connected with Charlie's. She winced slightly when she saw the pain in them, visible even from where she was standing.

"Please tell me she can sing" Aden said hopefully.

Joey shrugged "I don't know, I...." she was interrupted as Charlie's soft voice filled the room.

**See the stone set in your eyes  
See the thorn twist in your side  
I wait for you**

"Wow" Aden mumbled in amazement "She _can_ sing!"

Joey didn't reply as her gaze lingered on Charlie's.

**Sleight of hand and twist of fate  
On a bed of nails she makes me wait  
And I wait without you**

**With or without you  
With or without you**

Tears formed rapidly in Joey's eyes as she listened closely to the lyrics, her gaze never leaving the pain filled eyes of her love.

**Through the storm we reach the shore  
You give it all but I want more  
And I'm waiting for you**

With or without you  
With or without you  
I can't live  
With or without you

**And you give yourself away  
And you give yourself away  
And you give  
And you give  
And you give yourself away**

Joey felt Aden squeeze her hand comfortingly but it did nothing to dispel the pain and guilt from her heart as she watched tears roll rapidly down Charlie's cheeks. She _had_ given herself away. She had submitted herself to her brothers' spiteful demands and by doing that she had only caused pain for the person she loved the most.

**My hands are tied  
My body bruised, she's got me with  
Nothing to win and  
Nothing left to lose**

And you give yourself away  
And you give yourself away  
And you give  
And you give  
And you give yourself away

Joey choked on her sobs, longing to reach out to her girlfriend. To fix the hurt she had caused.

**With or without you**  
**with or without you  
I can't live  
with or without you**

With or without you  
With or without you  
I can't live  
With or without you  
With or without you

Joey pulled away from Aden and stepped forward as the music slowed. She watched as Charlie stepped away from the microphone wiped at her tears before she rushed from the stage, ignoring the applause from the people in the bar.

"I'll go..." Joey called to Aden before she rushed in the direction of the exit.

"Right" Aden sighed. He picked up Charlie's Jacket and bag and walked over to the bar fully intending to buy another (Non-alcoholic) drink.

---

"Charlie!" Joey called as she rushed out of the bar after Charlie "Charlie, Please wait!"

"WHY?!" Charlie spun around to face Joey, revealing tears spilling down her cheeks "So you can tell me that 'This is for the best'...That you're 'trying to protect me'?! So you can leave me again?"

Joey stopped short and gazed speechlessly at Charlie "Charlie I..."

"Are you really going to do this to me again?" Charlie asked as she reached up and wiped her tears away harshly "You're going to break up with me again?! I can't _take_ this anymore Jo..."

"I'm so sorry" Joey said weakly as she stepped forward "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was trying to protect you..."

"And you ended up hurting me more than anybody else could Joey!" Charlie exclaimed painfully "Do you have any idea how much of a mess I've been since you decided to walk out on me?!"

Joey shook her head silently.

"Yeah...You wouldn't" Charlie laughed bitterly. She turned to walk away.

"Charlie, Wait!"

"You know what?" Charlie stopped but didn't turn back around "Out of all of the people I expected to betray me...I never thought it would be you. I thought we would be together forever, as immature as that sounds. I thought that we were inseparable...I _thought_ that you loved me but...If you did than why would you leave me?!" she shook her head sadly and continued to walk.

"YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT DOWN!" Joey yelled tearfully.

"What?" Charlie stopped and turned around. She walked closer to Joey and gazed at her in confusion "What did you say?"

"Nothing..."

"No, I want know" Charlie said firmly "What do you mean I would have been sent down? Sent down for what Joey?"

Joey ran a hand through her dark hair in frustration "You were set up Charlie...With the drugs allegations? It was Brett. He got a friend to plant drugs in the house and file allegations against you..."

"I don't understand..." Charlie said softly.

"I made a deal with him" Joey explained "I told him that if he left you and Ruby alone I would leave you. I had to do it Charlie. I couldn't see you go to prison because of me"

Charlie gazed at her in shock "You should have told me...I could have done something about it!"

"I know that!" Joey responded guiltily "I know I should have but...I wasn't thinking clearly Charlie. All I was thinking about was keeping you safe"

"You have no idea how much you hurt me..." Charlie turned her gaze to the ground.

"I do!" Joey argued as she stepped forward and took Charlie's hands "Because I hurt myself just as much Charlie..." she placed her hand gently under Charlie's chin to look into her eyes "God, I missed you so much"

"I missed you too" Charlie threw her arms around Joey in a tight embrace, allowing her tears to continue flowing freely. Joey hung onto the older girl just as tightly but pulled back after a couple of moments.

"I really didn't mean to hurt you" she said softly as she wiped away Charlie's tears "And I don't expect you to just forgive me. I..."

"I forgive you!" Charlie interrupted quickly.

"You do?" Joey asked dumbfounded.

"I do" Charlie nodded "I can't stand being apart from you Joey..." she pulled the other girl towards her and kissed her tenderly.

"Does this mean I can come home?" Joey asked hopefully "Because I've really missed you..."

"You can come home" Charlie smiled warmly.

Joey wrapped Charlie in a tight embrace and kissed her passionately.

---

Charlie hummed happily to herself as she walked into the kitchen in shorts and a tank top the next morning. She was just reaching for her cup when she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind and a soft kiss being placed on her neck.

"Hey" she grinned as she spun around in Joey' arms to capture her lips with her own "What are you doing up so early? I was planning on coming back to bed"

"There was snoring" Joey grinned mischievously "And then there wasn't..."

"Hey!" Charlie slapped Joey's arm lightly "I do not snore!"

"I know" Joey laughed as she rubbed her arm "I was only kidding"

"Yeah, well..." Charlie leaned forward and kissed Joey lightly "Are you planning on kissing me anytime soon?"

"Of course!" Joey pulled Charlie close and kissed her deeply. They finally pulled back and Joey smiled softly at Charlie "Great singing last night by the way. You never told me that you could sing..."

Charlie shrugged "I figured it would take some sort of grand gesture to stop you from ignoring me"

"Shouldn't I be the one who makes the grand gestures?" Joey asked quietly "I do have a lot of making up to do..."

Charlie wasn't sure what to say to that so instead she pulled Joey close and kissed her tenderly.

"Charlie?" Ruby's voice sounded as she walked into the kitchen "What time did y...Joey!"

Joey pulled away from the kiss and turned to look at Ruby offering her a small smile "Hey Rubz"

Ruby rushed forward and launched herself into Joey's arms almost knocking her off her feet. The older girl managed to remain standing however.

"God, I missed you!" Ruby said as she pulled away "Are you okay? Are you back for good?"

"I'm fine" Joey smiled at her "I missed you too. Are _you_ Okay? I know I left without much warning and yes I am back for good"

"I'm okay" Ruby said quietly as she glanced sidelong at Charlie "So why did you leave? I don't understand..."

"It's a long story..." Joey began "It started when Brett got locked up..."

---

"What do you want Joey?" Brett groaned as his sister walked through the door "I'm not reconsidering my offer...It stays the same. If you don't stay away from the cop something else is going to happen to her. Don't think I can't make it happen just because I'm locked up in here"

"I want to know why you set Charlie up" Joey said as she took a seat opposite him "Was it just to hurt me?"

"I'm trying to HELP you!" Brett responded angrily "What you're doing with her is _sick_ Joey! You need to stay the hell away from her"

"I won't" Joey stood up from the chair and began to move towards the door.

"Then she'll pay"

"No she won't" Joey turned around and pulled her shirt up slightly to reveal a black wire under it "You really should watch what you say to the girlfriend of a cop Brett" with that said she turned around and walked out of the door leaving Brett glaring angrily after her.

---

"Did it work?!" Charlie asked hopefully as Joey walked out of the room and she and Watson bound up to meet her.

"He confessed!" Joey grinned before she pulled Charlie close and kissed her "Great Idea Babe!" she turned to look at Watson "Are you sure he won't be able to hurt Charlie anymore?"

Watson nodded surely "We have his admission recorded. He'll be secluded and won't even be allowed to use the phone. You're both safe. Trust me!"

"Thanks Watson" Charlie smiled at her colleague and wrapped an arm securely around Joey's waist.

"Anytime" Watson nodded and walked out of the station.

"We're finally safe from him" Joey breathed out as she turned to face Charlie.

"We certainly are" Charlie agreed happily "So no more leaving, okay?"

"I promise I'll never leave you again" Joey vowed sincerely.

"I love you Joey" Charlie said quietly.

"I love you too" Joey responded sincerely. She pulled Charlie impossibly close and kissed her passionately, trying to make up for wasted time.

TBC


	40. Chapter 40

**I'm kind of sad to say that there is only one more chapter to go after this one. I've absolutely loved writing this fic (So much so that I continued even though it was only meant to be about 10 chapters long). The continuation is partly due to all of your wonderfully encouraging reviews. I greatly appreciate them. They really helped with the progression of the story. **

**I have a quick question: Should I continue writing CJ fics or quit while I'm sort of ahead? It's been really great writing them and I've totally fallen in love with the ship! I have an idea for a new fic but...What do you guys think?**

**Anyway I hope you all enjoy the chapter...I tried to make it as happy as I possibly could for you :) **

Chapter 40

Joey walked through the door of Leah's house whistling happily to herself as a familiar feeling of home settled upon her. She walked slowly through the door to the living room and noticed Charlie sitting on the couch, reading over paperwork on the table in front of her.

"Hey" Charlie looked up as she sensed Joey's presence "You're back" she stood up from the couch and took a step towards the younger girl.

"Yep" Joey moved quickly towards her and caught her lips in a passionate kiss, literally lifting her off the ground in the embrace. They fell back onto the couch without breaking the kiss "I certainly am back"

"Wow" Charlie's hands moved automatically to Joey's waist to steady her as she straddled her lap "It seems like you missed me if that kiss is anything to go by"

"I did" Joey confirmed the statement with another long kiss which left them both breathless. When she pulled back she grinned at her girlfriend "a hell of a lot"

"So are those for me?" Charlie smiled as she gestured towards the roses in Joey's hand "Or are you just planning on decorating the house?"

"These?" Joey moved off Charlie and sat on the couch next to her "Yeah...These are for you" she handed Charlie the flowers "As are these" she pulled a box of chocolates from behind her back and handed them too to the older girl.

Charlie smiled adoringly and inhaled the fresh smell of the red roses before she looked up at Joey "As much as I appreciate the incredibly sweet gesture especially since you bought my favourite chocolates...You know you don't have to keep apologising, don't you?"

Joey shrugged nervously "I was actually kind of trying to make a statement with those flowers" she motioned towards the roses in Charlie's hand.

"What kind of statement?" Charlie questioned curiously.

"Well there are 12 roses" Joey looked up meeting Charlie's gaze "I'm going to love you until the last one dies..."

Charlie looked between Joey and the roses in slight confusion "Uh Joey? You do know that one of these roses is fake, don't you?"

"I know" Joey smiled brightly at her "That's because I'm going to love you forever! Just like the rose my love for you will never die!"

"Oh..." Charlie felt tears form rapidly in her eyes "That's..." she flung her arms around Joey and kissed her deeply allowing them both to fall backwards on the couch "Really sweet"

Joey smiled softly and reached up to wipe Charlie's tears away "Well I wasn't really aiming to make you cry but..."

"Sorry" Charlie apologised quietly "Happy tears though...I promise. It was really sweet of you to go to the trouble of getting the flowers"

"Good" Joey smiled happily "Because I think the florist thought I was a bit nuts when I asked her for 11 real roses and 1 fake"

Charlie laughed and leaned down to kiss the younger girl again "Thank you"

"Anything for you" Joey beamed before her expression turned slightly more serious "I was just...trying to show you that I never intend to leave you again"

"I know" Charlie said softly "I trust you"

"I just couldn't stand to see you being treated like some kind of criminal" Joey explain truthfully "And I know what would have happened if Brett..."

"Joey!" Charlie stopped Joey with a finger to her lips "I know why you did what you did. You don't have to keep explaining it to me"

"Okay..." Joey responded quietly "Y'know you have kind of committed a crime"

"Yeah?" Charlie asked in confusion "How's that?"

"You've certainly stolen my heart" Joey grinned cheekily.

Charlie gazed at her for a moment before she burst into giggles "That was kind of cheesy Jo" she leaned down and kissed the younger girl when she pouted "But just out of curiosity...Do you want it back?"

"I would definitely prefer that you kept it" Joey smiled as she shifted slightly under Charlie's weight.

"What is it?" Charlie asked in concern as she noticed Joey squirming slightly beneath her "Am I hurting you?" she moved to get up but Joey pulled her back down quickly.

"No" Joey smiled warmly "You're fine...It's comfortable"

"Are you sure?" Charlie double checked "Because I can move if you're uncomfortable..."

"No way are you moving!" Joey grinned as her hands settled on Charlie's waist "This position happens to be very comfortable. Plus I have an unbelievably hot girl on top of me...What else could I possibly want?"

"Our bedroom?" Charlie smiled seductively as she leaned down so she was pressed completely against Joey and their lips were mere inches apart.

"Who needs a bedroom?" Joey asked as she pulled Charlie close and kissed her passionately. Charlie responded quickly as she threaded her fingers through Joey's hair and returned the kiss just as enthusiastically.

"Joey..." she panted when they finally pulled back for air. She released a soft gasp as Joey's lips moved down her jaw towards her neck.

"Hmmn?" Joey hummed as she moved her hands slowly under Charlie's shirt and caressed the soft skin she found there.

"Nothing but...Oh God!" Charlie moaned softly as Joey nipped gently at her neck before soothing the slightly stinging area with her tongue.

"I want you..." Joey whispered huskily as she kissed her way up to Charlie's ear "Right now..." she tugged impatiently at Charlie's shirt. Charlie automatically sat up slightly allowing the younger girl to remove it. Joey kissed her way slowly down the older girl's neckline making her way to her breasts still hidden by a bra.

"Jo" Charlie moaned softly as Joey unclasped her bra in one quick movement "We can't...Not here"

"Shhh" Joey shushed her gently as she pushed the bra straps from Charlie's shoulders excruciatingly slowly.

Charlie bit her lip as her bra was finally completely removed. Truth be told it was terrifying but at the same time rather thrilling that somebody could walk in at any minute. Her breath caught in her throat when Joey finally captured a nipple in her mouth.

"Fuck..." she cursed as her back arched slightly towards Joey "Jo if you don't get on with it I think I'm going to fucking explode!"

"Language Missy" Joey grinned as she moved her hands tantalisingly slowly down Charlie's ribs and over her abdomen, coming to rest on the button of her jeans. She dipped her thumbs slightly under the waistband of the jeans but made no other movement.

"Quit teasing" Charlie groaned impatiently.

"Patience is a virtue" Joey giggled into Charlie's chest. She unbuttoned the top button of Charlie's jeans but hesitated at the zip.

"Joey?" Charlie said breathlessly "I need you...right now" she moved forward and captured Joey's lips with her own forcing them both to lie back again on the couch. Joey didn't hesitate as she slid her hand under Charlie's jeans and briefs finally making contact with her destination point. She awkwardly switched their positions so that Charlie was below her.

"Oh God..." Charlie's head slammed back into the couch as Joey inserted two fingers into her and her hips began to move in time with Joey's movements "Joey!"

"You feel so good" Joey breathed heavily into Charlie's ear as she felt the older girl's body begin to tighten around her fingers.

"I...Joey" Charlie began to move faster as she felt herself fast approaching the edge. With a loud cry of pleasure she collapsed back onto the couch breathing heavily.

Joey smiled to herself and wrapped her arms around her slightly shaking girlfriend, holding her impossibly close.

"Wow" Charlie muttered breathlessly "That was...wow"

"Charlie?!" a voice called from the kitchen "I'm home!"

"Oh shit!" Charlie cursed as she sat up slightly "It's Ruby..." she quickly shifted on the couch so that her she was at the back and Joey was in front of her in an attempt to cover herself "Ruby?! Don't come in for a minute"

"Why?" Ruby entered the room with her hand firmly over her eyes "What are you two doing? Are you both decent?"

"No!" Charlie exclaimed stopping Ruby from moving her hand "Joey where's my shirt?"

"I don't know" Joey shrugged "I threw it somewhere"

"Great!" Charlie groaned and stood up using her arms to cover herself. She spotted her shirt behind the couch and walked over to it.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Ruby grinned jokingly.

"NO!" Charlie answered as she pulled her shirt on "Wait...Now you can"

Ruby tentatively removed her hand from her eyes and opened an eye by a fraction of an inch to make sure they were both dressed "Don't you guys have a bedroom?"

"We weren't doing anything!" Charlie protested innocently as she sat back on the couch next to Joey.

"Right" Ruby laughed at the older girl's obvious embarrassment "I don't think that flush you're wearing is just embarrassment. Am I right?"

Charlie blushed brighter if at all possible and she glanced at Joey "This is your fault"

"My fault?!" Joey grinned "No way. This is all _your_ fault. You insisted on getting really close and doing that thing you do!"

"That thing?" Charlie echoed in confusion.

"You know...The _look_!" Joey persisted "When your eyes turn a really dark shade of blue and you get all seductive"

Charlie grinned "Yeah?"

"Hell yeah" Joey nodded firmly "You know I can't possibly resist you when you look at me like that"

Ruby cringed slightly "Do I need to be hearing this?"

"Oh!" Joey jumped slightly and turned her gaze from Charlie to the teen "Ruby! I forgot you were here!"

"Obviously" Ruby rolled her eyes "You seem to be forgetting about a lot of things lately"

"Um...Right" Joey looked at Charlie questioningly.

"I'm going to my room" Ruby said before she stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"I think she's mad at me" Joey said quietly her gaze focused on the direction in which Ruby had left.

Charlie shrugged sadly "Doesn't she have a right to be?"

Joey's expression dropped slightly "Of course she does"

"I didn't mean that like it sounded" Charlie wrapped an arm around her girlfriend "All I mean is that I wasn't the only person affected by you leaving Jo..."

"I know that" Joey sighed "I've really messed things up with her"

"Go and talk to her" Charlie suggested nudging Joey gently. She stood up and kissed Joey quickly on head "I'm going to go and get changed. It'll be fine" with that she moved quickly towards her room.

"Charlz?" Joey called out.

"Yeah?" Charlie turned back around to face her girlfriend.

"You forgot something" Joey grinned as she held up Charlie's bra.

"Thanks Babe" Charlie moved over to her and kissed her quickly "What would I do without you?"

---

Ruby groaned to herself as a soft knock sounded at her door "Come in"

"Hey" Joey said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her "I was wondering if I could talk to you"

"You already are" Ruby responded her eyes never leaving her notepad, which she was doodling in.

"What are you doing?" Joey asked softly as she took a slow step forward.

"Homework" Ruby lied.

"Ruby, are you mad at me?" Joey asked slowly "If you are I need to know so we can sort I out..."

"Yeah" Ruby nodded though she still didn't look at the older girl "Now that you mentioned it I am pretty mad at you!" she tightened her grip on the pen in her hand.

"Why?"

"Why?!" Ruby asked incredulously "Are you seriously asking me that question? Isn't it obvious why I'm so mad at you?"

"Um...No?" Joey shrugged helplessly.

Ruby scoffed and threw her pen across the room angrily causing Joey to jump slightly "Damn it!" she looked up at Joey "Do you have any idea what it was like here when you were away?!"

Joey shook her head numbly.

"Yeah I suppose you wouldn't!" Ruby stated accusingly "You have no idea what you did Joey. I know that you know Charlie was a mess but...you don't have any idea how much!"

"Ruby, I..."

"Do you have any idea what it was like to have to watch her like that and not be able to do anything about it?" Ruby asked angrily "To worry about taking your eyes off her in case she did anything _stupid_? In case she hurt herself or worse?!"

Joey shook her head numbly feeling tears building.

"I do!" Ruby said tearfully "I had to watch her like that Joey. I had to witness her heart breaking! And you know the worst part?" she didn't wait for a response and continued quickly "I had to try to convince her that it would be okay. I had to defend your actions when I had no idea what was going on. I had to tell her over and over again that you still loved her and that she hadn't done anything wrong. You have no idea how hard it was without you!"

"I'm sorry" Joey responded sincerely "I know I have no excuses for hurting you both but...I was only trying to protect you and Charlie Rubz. You know I would do anything for you two" she moved closer and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Ruby intently.

Ruby leaned forward and placed her head in her hands allowing her tears to flow freely "You promised that you wouldn't hurt her again. You told me that you wouldn't leave us!"

"Ruby, I'm sorry..." Joey longed to reach out to the girl she considered family but managed to stop herself "But I swear I'll never intentionally let anything pull me away again. Not even Brett"

"Really?" Ruby looked up at her through teary eyes "Do you really mean that this time Joey?"

Joey nodded and opened her arms to the teen who moved quickly into them.

"I missed you, you know" Joey said softly to the younger girl "I missed your constant teasing. It was boring without you"

"I missed you too" Ruby responded quietly.

"I promise I won't leave you or Charlie again" Joey said sincerely "I'll never do anything to hurt either of you"

---

"Charlie?" Joey bound into the bedroom she shared with Charlie later on that night "I have something for you!"

"That's a coincidence" Charlie smiled seductively and pulled Joey down onto the bed "Because I have something for you too."

Joey laughed and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips "You go first!"

"Okay..." Charlie moved so that she was kneeling on front of Joey on the bed "I figured that since you're back and you still want to be with me. Maybe you would want this back?" she opened her hand to reveal Joey's ring. After a moment of silence she continued nervously "If you still want to marry me that is...There's no pressure"

"Of course I still want to marry you!" Joey kissed Charlie firmly.

"Good" Charlie smiled softly "You had me worried for a moment" she slipped the ring gently onto Joey's finger and beamed happily at her.

"So I was thinking..." Joey started slightly nervously "About you and us...I love you Charlie" she grasped Charlie's hand in her own and stood up pulling the older girl with her "I've never loved anybody like I love you. I never even imagine that somebody like you would love me..." she shushed the other girl when she moved to interrupt just as Joey had predicted she would "But you do. You do love me. I know that. You've taught me so much through our relationship Charlie...you taught me about love. True love. You showed me how it felt to be part of a real family who loves me for who I am. You save me in more than one way when I was at the lowest point in my life and you've made me so happy. Happier than I ever thought I could deserve to be..." Joey dropped down onto on knee in front of Charlie and smiled up at her "I know you already beat me to it but..." the younger girl pulled a small box out of her pocket "When I was young my Mum gave me this. She told me to hold onto it until I found somebody who deserved it. Somebody who I love more than anything. I love _you_ more than anything Charlie. So will you...Marry me?"

"Of course I will!" Charlie pulled Joey gently to her feet and kissed her tearfully "I love you so much Joey..."

"I love you too" Joey smiled just as tearfully as she slid the ring onto Charlie's finger before kissing it softly "It looks perfect on you" she wrapped her arms around Charlie's neck and kissed her tenderly "I promise, I'll never hurt you like that again"

"I know" Charlie tightened her hold on the other girl and returned the kiss passionately. She spun them around slightly and moved Joey gently backwards so they fell back onto the bed.

TBC


	41. Chapter 41

**So this sadly is the final chapter (Though I was thinking about picking it up with a sequel later after a bit of a break maybe? Since I have all of the bonds already formed...What do you guys think?)**

**Anyway thanks for your continued support and reviews through this fic. I really appreciate it. **

**New fic will be up soon (Maybe tomorrow) :) Glad you all think I should continue writing CJ because I love writing them! **

Chapter 41

2 months later:

Ruby knocked gently on the door in front of her "Charlie? Can I come in?" she glanced around nervously to ensure that nobody was around.

"Of course" Charlie called from behind the door "Come on in Rubz"

Ruby opened the door and entered the room shutting the door gently behind her. She turned to face Charlie and stopped short her breath catching in her throat.

"What?" Charlie turned away from the full length mirror in front of her to face her daughter "You look kind of shocked there Rubz"

"No..." Ruby shook her head slowly as she took in the full sight of the older girl dressed in her white figure hugging dress. She attempted and failed to push back her tears "You look Beautiful Charlie"

Charlie blushed slightly and smiled at her daughter "Hey don't start getting all teary on me already Rubz. The wedding hasn't even started yet"

"Sorry" Ruby waved a hand in front of her face in an attempt to compose herself "I guess all of this is just starting to hit me"

"Seriously" Charlie continued "If you keep crying you're going to make me cry and my makeup will be totally ruined" she opened her arms to the younger girl "Come here"

Ruby moved quickly into Charlie's embrace and hugged her tightly.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked softly when Ruby refused to relax her grip "If something's wrong you can tell me you know Rubz. It doesn't matter what's going on, I'm still here for you"

Ruby finally pulled away and shook her head having managed to push her tears back down "Nope...Not on your wedding day"

"It doesn't matter what day it is" Charlie took Ruby's hand and led her over to the only chair in the room , gently pushing her down onto it "Just forget about all of this for a minute Okay?" Ruby nodded slowly and Charlie squeezed onto the chair next to her taking her hand again "Now what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry...I really shouldn't be bothering you with this" Ruby said quietly "It can wait until after the wedding Charlie, really"

"I told you to forget about that" Charlie smiled softly "Just tell me...I'm sure it's not that bad"

"You shouldn't have to deal with this" Ruby persisted "It's just me and my issues again..."

"Ruby!" Charlie's tone let no doubt that she wanted to know what was troubling her daughter.

"It just hit me all at once" Ruby finally conceded sadly "You know...You're getting married Charlie. Pretty soon you'll want to get a place of your own with Joey and that's understandable. I just...I kind of feel like I'm losing you. That's all. I mean I'm sixteen...I can't expect you to look after me constantly"

"Oh Ruby..." Charlie visibly saddened at the insecurity in Ruby's voice and pulled her close to her in a comforting embrace "You're not going to lose me Honey. Not ever. You seriously have no idea how important you are to me do you? I couldn't be anywhere you're not..." she pulled back to look into Ruby's eyes and smiled reassuringly at her "Even though you can be a bit of a pain sometime and you're constantly teasing me...Wherever I go you go, wherever you go I go...Got it? And I know for a fact that Joey feels exactly the same way"

"Got it" Ruby smiled softly at the older girl "I love you Charlie"

"I love you too" Charlie smiled back "But I told you not to make me cry and I'm really close right now so..." she blinked repeatedly trying to rid herself of the tears in her eyes.

"Sorry" Ruby pulled Charlie into a quick hug before pulling back to look at her "You do look absolutely beautiful by the way" she stood up slowly with Charlie.

"Thanks Rubz...You look pretty great yourself"

"For what it's worth..." Ruby spoke sincerely "I'm really proud of you" she leaned up and pressed a kiss to Charlie's cheek.

"For what?" Charlie asked curiously "I haven't done anything"

"For this" Ruby gestured around them and smiled happily at Charlie "For being able to be fully open with her even after everything that's happened. I know it's not easy for you but...I'm really proud of you Charlie"

"Thanks" Charlie shrugged and glanced down at herself self consciously "So I really look okay?"

"You don't look okay" Ruby responded "You look _absolutely stunning!_"

"I can't believe I'm finally here" Charlie said quietly "With the two most important people in my life...I never thought I'd get here a while ago. I certainly didn't think I'd have you standing by my side after everything that happened before"

"Well you do" Ruby smiled at her though she felt slight sadness at what Charlie was referring to "And there's nothing you can do to get rid of me now. So that's enough of all of the sadness. We have a wedding to get ready for"

"I wonder how Joey's doing..." Charlie smiled dreamily as she curled one of the tendrils of hair hanging next to her face around her finger.

"I don't know" Ruby grinned "But she damn well better be wearing that dress by now...Your fiancé is so difficult. It's absolutely impossible to go shopping with her"

"Hmnn I know" Charlie beamed happily.

---

Joey gazed contemplatively at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a form fitting white dress, her hair hanging loose and straightened around her shoulders. A light knock at the door caused her to glance at it and a moment later Aden walked into the room his hand firmly over his eyes.

"Are you decent?" he grinned and closed the door without removing his hand from his eyes.

"It depends what you mean by decent" Joey laughed as she turned around to face him "But if you mean decent as in dressed...yes I am"

"Good" Aden removed his hand from his eyes and his jaw dropped slightly when he looked at her "You look...Wow"

"Good wow?" Joey asked apprehensively as she tugged at the dress.

"Definitely good wow" Aden nodded "You look gorgeous Jo"

"Thanks" Joey blushed brightly "You look pretty damn fine yourself"

"I know!" Aden grinned causing Joey to roll her eyes.

"Hey can you do me a favour?" Joey asked hopefully.

"Sure" Aden answered instantly "What is it?"

"Zip" Joey grinned "It's stuck and I can't quite get it...Do you mind?"

"Not at all" Aden moved over to her as she turned around to face the mirror again. He reached up and gently moved her hair so that it didn't get caught when the zip got to the top.

"Breathe in" He joked as he started to pull the zip up slowly.

"Shut up!" Joey laughed though she tried to keep as still as possible.

"There!" Aden said when the zip was finally pulled up to the top of the dress "All done ma'am" he looked up and met her eyes in the mirror his expression turning slightly more serious "You really do look beautiful Joey"

"Thanks Aid" Joey turned around and engulfed him in a tight hug "For everything. I don't think I would be here at all if it wasn't for your support."

"No problem" Aden smiled as he returned the embrace before releasing her and moving slightly backwards "Now as your best man I have a responsibility to get you to your wedding on time" he offered her his arm which she instantly took.

---

Joey waited nervously at the end of the aisle her heart feeling like it was about to beat it's way out of her chest.

"Calm down" Aden smiled from her side "She'll be here" he looked up as he spotted Ruby making her way down the aisle slowly "See? There's Ruby"

Ruby winked at Joey as she took a seat at the front in between Leah and Morag. Joey offered a small wave in response.

"I never thought I would get here Aid" Joey said softly "Especially not with Charlie"

"But you are here" Aden smiled as the music started "Now look out here comes your bride"

Joey looked up and the aisle and felt her heart skip a beat in her chest as her eyes settled on Charlie, walking down the aisle with her father at her side "Oh my God..."

"You look so beautiful..." Charlie whispered when she finally reached Joey at the end of the aisle. She reached out to lace her fingers with her girlfriends.

"Your dress looks way better on you" Joey countered resulting in a soft laugh and eye roll from Charlie.

The priest at the front raised his hands to the group of people gathered in front of him "Dearly beloved we have gathered here today to witness the marriage of Charlotte Buckton and Josephine Collins"

Joey rolled her eyes when he said her full name and Charlie couldn't help the grin that tugged at her lips.

"...And now the couple have a few words to say to each other" the priest continued "Charlotte?"

Charlie smiled quickly at him before she turned to Joey and tightened her grip on her hand slightly "Joey...I never thought that I would be standing where I am today...With you by my side. I was always the sister or the unemotional cop but...You changed all of that. When I tried to push you away you didn't let me...You fought even harder for me. Nobody's cared enough to do that for me before. Before you I was filled with darkness but now the darkness of my soul has been replaced by a light. A brilliant light which is standing before me right now agreeing to marry me...And I _do not_ deserve to be this lucky. I don't but...I am" she paused for a moment and gazed at a tearful Joey with nothing but love in her eyes "You asked me once what I see when I look into the future and I refused to answer the question but...I see _you_ Joey. I promise that I'm going to love you and fight for you until my very last breath"

Joey sniffled tearfully when the priest turned to her "Wow...Difficult speech to continue from. Maybe I should have gone first" The group of people gathered chuckled at Joey's statement "Okay..." Joey looked up into Charlie's eyes sincerely "I've never really seen myself as a bride or even the object of somebody's love. But here I am...Looking into the eyes of this incredible woman who I love with all of my heart. I've made a few mistakes in our relationship by being unsure of myself and our love but...You show me every day that love is possible. That I'm actually deserving of the love that you give me. You've shown me everything through our relationship. You've taught me about love, about being loved and about family. Real family. You taught me about gratitude Charlie...I thank God for you every single day and...no matter what some people say we deserve this. We deserve this love and happiness. Now and forever"

Charlie smiled tearfully at her and squeezed her hand.

"If anybody know any reason why these two cannot marry speak now or forever hold your peace" the Priest said as he looked to the teary audience.

Joey and Charlie tensed as if expecting something to happen but when nothing did the priest continued slowly "Charlotte do you give yourself to Josephine, to comfort, honour, love, and protect her, forsaking all others to be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" Charlie answered him sincerely.

The priest turned to Joey and repeated the same question.

"I do" Joey responded quietly.

Charlie turned toward Joey when the man nodded at her "I Charlotte take you Josephine to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for the rest of our lives. This is my solemn vow."

Joey smiled barely able to fight the urge to move forward and kiss her soon to be wife's tears away "I 'Josephine' take you Charlotte to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for the rest of our lives. This is my solemn vow"

"Bless the rings that will be received to be a symbol of the love exchanged her today..."

Charlie turned around and her Dad handed her the ring with a tearful smile. Charlie took Joey's left hand "I give this ring as a symbol of my vow. With all that I am and all I have" she slipped the white gold band onto Joey's finger.

"Charlie..." Joey shakily took the ring Aden handed her and took Charlie's hand in her own "I give this ring as a symbol of my vows. With all I am and all I have"

"With the declaration of the vows I now pronounce you as one. Like the loops of the rings now encircling your fingers may your love have no end" he paused and smiled when both women looked at him hopefully "You may now kiss the bride"

"At last" Joey laughed tearfully as she stepped closer to Charlie. She gently moved a strand of hair from the older girl's face before she leaned in and kissed her softly. Their friends and family erupted in applause.

---

"So..." Aden said at the reception as he stood up with a glass of champagne in his hand and looked over at Joey and Charlie seated at a table "I'm going to make this short and sweet because I'm not very good at speeches" he laughed nervously before he continued "I met Joey probably not under the best circumstances and she soon became one of my best friends. I'm incredibly proud of how far you've come Jo and I want to congratulate you both on the wedding. You both deserve this and so much more" he raised his glass "To the happy couple"

"To the happy couple" everybody echoed before they sipped at their champagne.

"Uh..." Ruby stood up at Charlie's side and raised her hand "I kind of wanted to say something" the room fell silent once again and Ruby began to walk away from the table.

"Ruby..." Charlie caught Ruby's free hand in her own and gazed at her in confusion "What are you doing?"

"I have to do this" Ruby squeezed Charlie's hand before pulling away and moving nervously to the centre of the room "So I'm not really very good at these speeches either but I have to be better than Aden, right Aid?" she looked over to where Aden sat with his arm wrapped around Belle. He stuck his tongue out at her in response and Ruby turned back to look at Charlie and Joey "So this year hasn't been exactly easy for us. It's had its highs and its lows. First of all I want to say how happy I am that Joey's now _officially _a part of our Family. Not that it mattered now for the hard part..." She paused slightly and took a deep breath before focusing her gaze on Charlie "All my life I've had somebody there to take care of me, to protect me...To love me. I think I took that for granted before but I just wanted you to know that I've always noticed. Charlie...You're my protector, my sister, my guardian angel, my..." Ruby choked slightly on emotion as tears slid down her face "You're the person I can go to, to talk about anything with. You've taught me how to be myself, how to be proud of who I am no matter what anyone may think. You deserve all of the happiness in the world Charlie. You both do. And I'm proud..." She closed her eyes briefly before she opened them again and gazed sincerely at the tearful older girl "I'm proud to call you my Mother"

Charlie's hand shot to her mouth as a choked sob escaped her. Joey smiled tearfully at her before she released her hand. The older girl had longer for Ruby to call her that for years.

"Ruby..." Charlie stood up and rushed to meet her daughter in the middle of the room gathering her in a huge hug "I love you so much"

"I love you too Mum" Ruby grinned as Charlie showered her with hugs and kisses.

"Definitely better than my speech" Aden said as he leaned close to Belle and wiped tears from his eyes.

"Yeah..." Belle agreed tearfully "But you were still great"

"Not a word about this, yeah?" Aden smiled still slightly tearful "I'm a man...I'm tough"

"Course you are" Belle laughed before she leaned forward and kissed him.

---

_**Look into my eyes - you will see  
What you mean to me  
Search your heart - search your soul  
And when you find me there you'll search no more**_

_**Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for  
You know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you**_

"Very appropriate song" Joey noted softly as she swayed gently with Charlie in her arms later that night.

"I suppose you're right" Charlie whispered as she pressed a soft kiss to Joey's cheek before she pulled back to look at her "Jo?"

"Yeah?" Joey smiled.

"I really can't believe that we're here" Charlie spoke softly "Me and you...Ruby's speech. This day has been so far beyond amazing"

"Yeah..." Joey responded quietly "I really wasn't expecting that...Your daughter certainly is something, isn't she?"

"She is" Charlie nodded proudly

_**Look into your heart - you will find  
There's nothin' there to hide  
Take me as I am - take my life  
I would give it all - I would sacrifice**_

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
Ya know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you

"You know everything I said in my vows is true, right?" Charlie asked "I'm going to love you for the rest of my life Joey Collins"

"Good" Joey kissed Charlie softly "Because you're kind of stuck with me now"

Charlie beamed at her in response and wrapped her arms lightly around her neck pulling her closer.

"I think your daughter's drunk" Joey laughed as she looked over Charlie's shoulder.

Charlie turned her head slightly to seek out her daughter. She shook her head in amusement when she finally spotted her sitting between Belle and Aden and arm slung over each of their shoulders as she giggled uncontrollably "How did she get that drunk? I said one drink!"

"I may have refilled her glass a couple of times" Joey admitted guiltily "Sorry"

"It doesn't matter" Charlie smiled as she looked back at Joey "But I'm blaming you when she feels terrible tomorrow"

"Of course" Joey grinned happily.

"I have a feeling that everything's going to be okay" Charlie whispered as she leaned her forehead against Joey's.

"As long as we have each other it will be" Joey agreed softly. She ducked her head slightly and caught Charlie's lips in a tender kiss.

_**There's no love - like your love  
And no other - could give more love  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
All the time - all the way**_

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you  
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you __

---

4 months later

Joey whistled happily to herself as she walked into their new house.

"Charlie..." Joey called as she walked into the room. Her eyes widened in panic when she saw what Charlie was doing. The older girl was balanced on a step ladder next to the wall trying to out a picture on the wall.

"Oh my God what are you doing?!" she rushed into the room and jumped onto the couch quickly "Are you insane?" she placed her hands on Charlie's lower back to ensure she wouldn't fall.

"I'm fine" Charlie smiled down at her "See?" she held her arms out "I'm not going to..." before she could finish the sentence she wobbled on the ladder and lurched forward landing in Joey's open arms "Fall?"

"Of course you're not" Joey smiled down at her "Good thing I was here to catch you..."

Charlie raised her hand to Joey's cheek and caressed it lightly, her eyes shining with love "Seems like you're always here to catch me when I fall"

"And I always will be" Joey leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips "No matter what" she found herself slightly surprised when Charlie pulled her back into the kiss but returned it quickly. They pulled back for breath after a moment and Charlie stood up slowly.

Joey smiled contentedly and stepped back off the couch. Her smile faded quickly however as she yelped in pain and began to hop on one foot "OW! MY FOOT!"

"What?!" Charlie asked in concern as she rushed around the couch to her girlfriend "What's...Oh" she bit her lips guiltily when she noticed the hammer she had been previously using lying on the floor.

"I stepped on the hammer!" Joey said through gritted teeth as she fell back onto the couch "Ow!" she clutched her foot in pain.

"I'm sorry Honey!" Charlie apologised as she sat on the couch next to the older girl "Are you okay?" she moved her hand to the younger girl's foot and rubbed it soothingly.

"I'm fine" Joey winced slightly "It was more surprise than pain I think..." she smiled weakly at Charlie and lowered her foot to the ground "See? I'm fine. Don't worry about it..."

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked in concern "Maybe we should get you checked out..."

"I'm okay!" Joey interrupted with a grin "But you can check me out all you want to. I won't mind at all"

Charlie blushed brightly and swatted Joey playfully on her arm "Joey!"

"Sorry" Joey wrapped her arms around Charlie and pressed a quick kiss to her temple "Wow...I guess we're done unpacking than"

"Yep" Charlie smiled happily "Which means we can really move in today!"

"Great!" Joey exclaimed enthusiastically "When does Ruby get here anyway?"

"Now!" Ruby stated as she entered the room and jumped onto the couch next to them "But are you sure you want me to move in with you? You guys need privacy and..."

"Ruby shut up" Joey grinned jokingly "there's no way we would go anywhere without you"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "Like I said wherever we go you go. We don't leave family behind, right Jo?"

"Right" Joey smiled "Especially not our Ruby"

"Thanks" Ruby beamed and hugged them tightly.

Charlie smiled contentedly to herself as they all settled on the couch for their first night in their new home.

"Charlie?" Joey asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I think we should miss Ruby's room out when we y'know...In all of the bedrooms" Joey grinned over at Charlie.

"Eeeew!" Ruby exclaimed "I don't need to know about that!" she punched Joey playfully in the room "Charlie tell your wifey!"

"Joey I agree" Charlie laughed.

"Ugh, I give up with you two!" Ruby exclaimed though she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

_Charlie and Joey exchanged bright smiles and settled back into the couch content in their love for each other and the start of the rest of their lives. _

_THE END_


	42. Chapter 42

**So here's the next part of the story. I decided to continue it in the same story because well...I couldn't think of another Story title lol. Thanks so much for the supportive reviews through BTBR. I really appreciate them. This chapter is short and kind of crap because it's the first chapter but it will get better. Lots of Angst, Fluff and Drama promised. **

Chapter 42

"RUBY!" Charlie yelled up the stairs "Have you seen my Keys?!" a brief silence followed before Ruby appeared at the top of the stairs with the keys in her hand and a guilty expression.

"Where did you get those?" Charlie narrowed her eyes at the teenager.

"You must have dropped them" Ruby said innocently as she walked down the stairs towards her Mother "I picked them up and forgot to give them back to you" she held the keys out.

"Right...Thanks Rubz" Charlie offered a small smile as she began to walk back towards the living room.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked as she followed the older girl back to the other room "You seem kind of strange today"

"I'm fine" Charlie answered as she plopped down on the couch "I guess I'm just tired that's all"

"You shouldn't be working so much" Ruby frowned as she sat down next to Charlie "You're going to wear yourself out"

"It's sweet that you care so much" Charlie laughed as she pulled her daughter into a one armed hug "But I'll be fine Ruby...And I have my time off coming up soon!"

"I know..." Ruby sighed softly "It just seems like we never get to spend any time together anymore and...Hey where's Joey?" the teenager frowned as she noticed Joey's sudden absence.

"She went out for a while" Charlie shrugged "I think she's gone to see Aden or something. Now what were you saying?"

"Oh...I was saying that we never get to spend time together anymore. You're always at work and Joey's always...I don't even know where Joey keeps disappearing to!"

"She's looking for a job" Charlie responded quietly as she leaned back slightly "Look Rubz...I'll call Joey and we'll go out somewhere today, Okay? I'll take the day off"

"You can do that?" Ruby asked in surprise "I mean...You'll actually do that?"

"Anything to spend time with my favourite daughter" Charlie winked as she stood up and walked over to the phone.

"That's a cop out" Ruby laughed "I'm your _only_ daughter!"

"So you are" Charlie smiled and picked up the phone, dialling a familiar number "Hey Joey...Where are you?"

"I'm just hanging out with Aden" Joey answered on the other side of the line "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong" Charlie responded "But do you think you can make lunch today? I've taken the day off so...."

"Sure" Joey said happily "Aden has to work soon anyway so I'll be home in about an hour?"

"Yeah that should be fine"

"Okay. I'll be home soon. I love you"

"I love you too" Charlie smiled warmly before she hung up and turned back to Ruby "She'll be here in about an hour"

"Good" Ruby practically beamed "So where are we going?"

"I don't know" Charlie shrugged as she joined Ruby on the couch again "I was thinking we could go to the city...Spend the day there or something. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea!" Ruby stated enthusiastically as she leaned into the older girl. They sat there for a moment before a knock sounded at the door. Charlie groaned and stood up.

"I wonder who that could be..." she walked out of the room and to the front door. She started slightly in surprise when she saw who was at the door "Leah! What are you doing here?!"

"Charlie!" Leah hugged the slightly surprised brunette tightly "I haven't seen you for weeks! We've missed you..."

"Come in" Charlie smiled as she stepped back into the house. When Leah entered she shut the door behind her and began to move towards the living room gesturing for her friend to follow her.

"Hey Leah" Ruby jumped off the couch and hugged the older woman in greeting.

"Hey Ruby" Leah laughed as Ruby pulled her over to the couch to sit next to her.

"Not working today?" Charlie asked curiously as she sat on the seat opposite them "I figured you would be at the diner with it being so busy and all..."

"Nope" Leah shook her head "It's my day off. I just missed you both so I decided to come and see you. Sorry for the short notice"

"its fine" Charlie reassured her quickly "You're free to come over anytime you want to. We did live with you for quite a while so..."

"Yeah" Leah nodded slowly "The house is really quiet without you all" she glanced at Ruby warmly "Especially you. I don't think I ever quite realised how loud you really were until you moved out"

"I'm not loud" Ruby pouted. At Charlie and Leah's disbelieving looks she continued "Okay maybe I am loud but...That's only because it reflects the volume of my personality so...there!"

"Right" Charlie laughed at her daughters conclusion and turned back to Leah "We were heading out to the city in about an hour...You're welcome to join us if you want?"

"Thanks" Leah smiled "But I'd better be getting back to the house. You know...Even though I'm not _at_ work I still have work to do"

"Hmmn" Charlie nodded sympathetically "I understand that completely"

"Your work's been hectic?" Leah guessed.

"Yeah" Charlie sighed and nodded "That's why I'm taking today off. I've hardly sent any time with Ruby and Joey for about three weeks"

"Where _is_ Joey?" Leah glanced around as if just noticing the other girl's absence.

"She's with Aden" Charlie answered "She should be home soon tho..."

As if on cue the sound of the front door opening caused Charlie, Ruby and Leah to look up.

"Honey, I'm home!" Joey yelled jokingly as she moved towards the living room. Upon entering she looked slightly surprised to see Leah "Oh Hey Leah"

"Hey Joey" Leah smiled as she stood up "I was just heading off...I have a tonne of work to do at home"

"Oh...Okay" Joey looked slightly disappointed as Leah hugged her quickly "Well make sure you come back soon okay?"

"Will do" Leah promised as she exchanged short hugs with Charlie and Ruby before leaving the room.

"I'm gonna get ready!" Ruby grinned as she jumped up from the couch and headed quickly upstairs.

"She seems happy" Joey noted as she slumped down onto the couch next to Charlie.

"Hmmn..." Charlie pulled Joey close and kissed her soundly "She is. We were talking and I found out that Ruby's been feeling a bit...Abandoned lately with neither of us really being around much"

"Oh..." Joey sat up and looked to where Ruby had left in concern "Is she okay?"

"I think so" Charlie nodded after a moment "I'm sure she'll be fine"

---

"I think we should go away for a while" Charlie said as she sipped at her drink "We might as well take a break while we can since I have time off work"

"Go away where?" Joey asked.

"Camping?" Charlie offered.

"Camping?" Ruby asked sceptically "Really Charlie?"

Charlie shrugged "It could be fun" she glanced over at Joey "What do you think Jo?"

"I think it's a great idea" Joey smiled supportively.

"Good" Charlie beamed and placed her hand on top of Joey's on the table

"As long as I get a separate tent" Ruby stated as a teasing grin formed on her lips "I'll never get any sleep if I have to share with you two"

"We're not that bad!" Joey protested.

"Yes you are" Ruby smirked. She frowned when she noticed Joey's attention had averted to over her shoulder "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Joey sighed as she refocused on Ruby "Just these stupid women who keep giving us death glares"

"Where?" Ruby instantly turned around and responded with a glare of her own.

"Ruby!" Joey exclaimed in a whisper "Just ignore them!"

Ruby huffed and turned back around "Whatever...They're idiots"

Joey shrugged "I'm used to it" she risked a glance at Charlie who had suddenly turned very quiet "You okay Charlie?"

"Hmmn?" Charlie shook herself from her thoughts and smiled at them "I'm fine"

The three girls fell into conversation, forgetting the two women for the moment. After a while they stood up to leave the restaurant. Unfortunately the obnoxious women were leaving at the same time. As they passed they shot a glare at Charlie and Joey while muttering.

"I'm sorry" Charlie said pleasantly as she stepped forward to stand in front of the two women "Did you have something to say? It seems like you have a problem with us..." one of the women turned bright red while the other merely held her glare.

"I don't think you should be parading your 'Relationship' around like that" she said in a steely cold voice "It's not right!"

"Yeah?" Charlie raised her eyebrows at her and crossed her arms in front of her chest "Says who? You?"

Joey and Ruby gazed at Charlie in surprise at her defensiveness.

"Says everybody!" The women exclaimed in frustration "A woman should be with a man! This is wrong...It's a sin!"

"Right" Charlie laughed humourlessly "A sin...Of course it is. How silly of me to think anything else. You know what? If you actually knew what you're talking about it might be worth arguing with you..."

"I know what I'm talking about!" The women said her voice close to a yell "It says in the bible..."

"Blah Blah Blah" Charlie drawled much to the annoyance of the already incensed women "If you actually bothered to read the bible you would find that it doesn't actually condemn homosexuality. I'm assuming you've skim read it so you've just decided to take what it says in literal form"

"What?" the woman asked in confusion "No..."

"Technically" Charlie went on calmly "You're committing a 'sin' right now..." she gestured towards the women's clothes "Mixing two types of fabrics is 'condemned' in Leviticus'"

"This is ridiculous!" the woman huffed.

"Doesn't it say in the bible..." Charlie continued with a slow smile "That whosoever does not know love does not know God for God is Love? _And_ that there cannot be a law against loving? _And_ didn't St Teresa of Avila say 'The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love'?"

"I...Uh..." the women spluttered at Charlie statements "That doesn't..."

"What?" Charlie asked expectantly as she stepped closer to the woman "I think you should actually go and find out what you're talking about before you condemn other people...Now I suggest you get out of here before I arrest you for breach of peace"

"Come on...We're going" the woman barked.

"So soon?" the other women asked obliviously "Oh...Do you need to get home to Dick?"

Joey barely managed to hide a snicker behind her hand at the woman's words whereas Ruby released a soft giggle. Charlie was too busy glaring to find any humour in the situation. The women glanced at her once more before they rushed out of the restaurant.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Joey exclaimed as she wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist.

"Yeah...You sure showed them!" Ruby grinned at her mother "I didn't know you had it in you"

Charlie shrugged and blushed slightly "They were pissing me off...Do you think I went a bit over the top?"

"No" Joey smiled as she placed a soft kiss on Charlie's cheek "You were absolutely perfect but...How did you know all of that stuff?"

"I studied ethics and Philosophy" Charlie shrugged "It was part of the course"

"You never stop amazing me" Joey whispered as they made their way out of the restaurant.

---

Meanwhile outside of the city unknown to Charlie, Joey and Ruby the blue lights of an ambulance flashed as it sped to get to its intended target.

"Emergency" a voice crackled over the radio "The man's condition is critical. Hurry!"

TBC


	43. Chapter 43

**This chapter is sad...Like really sad. Sorry! But Kudos to those who guessed right! Thanks again for all of the reviews everybody...So glad you're all still following this story! Thanks!**

Chapter 43

"What's wrong?" Joey asked as she tightened her arm around Charlie's waist.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Charlie replied as she turned over in bed to look into Joey's brown eyes.

"You're worrying about something" Joey said knowingly "I can tell. You're not sleeping and you're being way too quiet....So what's wrong?"

"Ruby" Charlie sighed as she sat up slightly in bed "I still think she's feeling slightly abandoned and...I think she needs us right now. Like _really_ needs us Jo..."

"Why?" Joey asked in concern as she sat up next the other girl "What's wrong with her? Why does she need us now more than she usually does?"

"I don't know" Charlie frowned "That's what I don't understand...I know there's something wrong with her. I can sense it. Call it mother's intuition or whatever but...I just wish she would talk to me"

"Well has she been doing anything to make you think there's something wrong?" Joey responded, growing even more worried.

"Well...No" Charlie admitted reluctantly "But she seems to have been feeling a bit down lately. That's all"

"Have you asked her about it?" Joey questioned quietly "Like...Asked her outright if something is wrong?"

"No" Charlie said sadly "But I know that something is wrong with her Jo...I know it!"

"Well ask her" Joey persisted as she placed her hand on Charlie's arm.

"Wouldn't she have already told me if she wanted me to know?" Charlie asked softly "Maybe she doesn't trust me"

"Hey" Joey shifted closer to the older girl "I'm sure that's not the case. She'll tell you if there's something really wrong"

"I hope so..." Charlie murmured in a low voice.

"Now are you going to go to sleep?" Joey yawned tiredly "Because I'm really..." she was interrupted as Charlie's mobile phone began to ring.

"Who could that be?" Charlie wondered quietly as she reached for her phone on the bedside table "That's weird...It's Rachel"

"Rachel?" Joey echoed in confusion as she watched Charlie pick up the phone.

"Rach?" Charlie questioned into the phone "Is something wrong..." she fell silent for a moment.

Joey watched in rapidly increasing concern as Charlie paled and her grip loosened slightly on the phone in her hand "Is he going to be okay?" after a brief paused Charlie nodded to herself "O...Okay. I'll be right there"

"Where are we going?" Joey asked as she watched Charlie hang up before jumping out of the bed and begin to pull her clothes on. She quickly did the same.

"The hospital" Charlie answered in a panic voice "It's my Dad..." she raced out of the room and towards Ruby's room with Joey at her heels. She opened the door quietly in an attempt not to startle her daughter.

"Ruby?" Charlie whispered as she sat down on the bed and lifted a hand gently to the teenager's cheek "Rubz...Wake up" she began to stroke Ruby's soft hair as she attempted to push her tears down "Ruby?!"

"Hmmn?" Ruby mumbled as she blinked her eyes open sleepily to look up at Charlie and Joey "Mum? What's going on?"

"It's Dad" Charlie responded haltingly "He's in the hospital Rubz. Rachel says we have to hurry up and get there before..." she trailed off as her expression turned pained.

"What?!" Ruby jumped out of the bed and quickly grabbed her shoes and jacket pulling them on in a hurried motion "What happened? Is it bad?!"

"He's in critical condition Rubz" Charlie said softly "Rachel...She said we have to hurry"

"Well we have to go!" Ruby exclaimed in alarm as she rushed out of the room and down the stairs with Joey and Charlie behind her "We have to hurry up and get there. He'll be okay won't he? I mean he has to be..."

"I'll drive" Joey whispered as she took the keys from Charlie's hand and pressed a reassuring kiss to the older girl's cheek "Come on"

They rushed quickly out of the front door and towards the car.

---

"Rachel?!" Charlie asked in alarm as they rushed towards the young doctor "Where is he? Is he okay?! What's going on?"

"Charlie..." Rachel turned around and pulled the brunette into a tight embrace. She pulled back but made sure to keep a firm hold on the other girl's arms as she gazed at her sadly "Your Dad's health took a sudden turn for the worst a couple of hours ago. It's not looking very good right now..."

"What?" Charlie questioned her shocked response coming out breathily "What do you mean Rachel? He's going to be okay, right?"

"We're doing all we can" Rachel responded as she glanced at Ruby compassionately "But you had to be here just in case..."

"Just in case what?" Ruby asked shakily as she took a slow step forward towards the doctor "Nothing's going to happen to him, is it? It can't..."

"I'm sorry Ruby" Rachel apologised softly as she placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder "We can't tell right now. I promise I'll keep you all updated but right now...It isn't looking good." She cast the girl's another sympathetic look before she turned and walked away.

"Come on..." Joey took both Buckton's hands in her own and pulled them gently over to the seating area where they sank shakily down onto the hard plastic seats.

---

"It's been 2 hours" Ruby said a while later as she shifted closer to Joey and leaned her head on her shoulder "Why won't they tell us what's going on? And where is Rachel?!"

"I don't know Rubz" Joey tightened her grip on the teenager's hand "I'm sure that as soon as Rachel finds something out she'll come right back and tell you"

"I'm scared" Ruby admitted in a whisper as she cast a furtive glance at Charlie who was sat on the other side of Joey "What if this is it? What if he doesn't make it? What will we do?"

"I don't know Honey" Joey answered sadly "I'm sorry...I wish I could make you feel better but...I can't"

Ruby nodded and lifted her head from Joey's shoulder to look at Charlie who was staring emotionlessly into space "Charlie?"

"Huh?" Charlie snapped out of her daydream and turned her gaze towards Ruby "Sorry Rubz...What is it?"

"Are you okay?" Ruby sniffled against tears that suddenly stung at her eyes.

"I'm...Holding up" Charlie admitted with a sad smile "I'm sure it's going to be fine Rubz" she reached across Joey's lap and held her hand out. Ruby silent grabbed onto it and clung to it like a lifeline.

"Are you really okay?" Joey turned her head and whispered in Charlie's ear "You're shaking like a leaf"

"Scared" Charlie admitted in a voice that was just as soft.

"Charlie!" Rachel exclaimed suddenly as she walked into the waiting room and rushed over to them, a stricken expression on her face.

"No..." Ruby whispered as she noticed the doctors pained expression.

"Rachel..." Charlie didn't attempt to stand up for fear of falling right back down again "He isn't..."

"It's not good" Rachel said quietly as she took a seat next to Charlie and placed a hand on her knee "He's going down-hill fast. He had a heart attack on the operating table..."

"So...What does that mean?!" Charlie squeezed Joey's hand so tight that it caused her to wince slightly.

"His stats are rapidly decreasing and there's nothing we can do for him right now" Rachel said regretfully "I'm sorry..."

"Can we go to him?" Ruby asked shakily surprising Rachel for a moment.

"Of course" Rachel nodded as she stood up slowly "Just follow me"

"Hey" Joey whispered to Charlie and Ruby "I'm going to stay here okay? This is private. It should be between you and him"

"But..." Ruby began to protest instantly "But I need you there!"

"I'll be right here" Joey turned to the young girl she called family and hugged her tightly "I won't go anywhere. I promise" she dropped a quick kiss onto the teenager's head before pulling back.

Charlie and Ruby stood up slowly from their seats and instantly grabbed onto each other's hands.

"Charlie..." Joey spoke up softly.

Charlie looked back and locked eyes with Joey in a look of mutual understanding "I know" she took a deep breath drawing strength from the gaze before she turned and walked off after Rachel, clutching tightly to Ruby's hand.

Rachel turned to face her friend's as they stopped at Ross's door together and looked at them sympathetically "I'm really sorry..." she slowly opened the door and gestured for them to enter "If you need me I'm just down the hall"

Charlie and Ruby nodded and entered the room, stopping at Ross's bedside.

"It wasn't meant to be like this" Ruby whispered over the steady beat of the heart monitors "He was supposed to be getting better Charlie!"

"I know" Charlie wrapped her arms around Ruby from behind trying to keep her tears at bay "I know Rubz" she leaned her head against Ruby's and gazed down at her weak looking Dad.

"He isn't supposed to do this!" Ruby whimpered as she clutched tightly to the arm Charlie had wrapped around her waist "He's supposed to be stronger, he's supposed to..."

"I know" Charlie repeated as her daughter choked on her words "I know what you mean Ruby..." they stood in silence apart from the beeping of the machines around them until a weak voice sounded from the bed.

"Hey, how are my favourite girls?"

"Dad!" Charlie gasped as she glanced at him.

"Charlie" Ross offered a weak smile but a moment later his hand shot to his chest. He cast a look at the younger girl in the room "Ruby..."

"You're going to be okay, right?" Ruby pleaded as she stepped forward and grasped his hand "You're going to get better?!"

"No..." Ross's expression dropped sadly "I don't think so Ruby"

"You have to!" Ruby exclaimed tearfully "You can't leave us..."

"I don't think I have a choice" the man looked over at Charlie sorrowfully "I'm sorry" he turned his gaze back to Ruby and squeezed her hand "But you know I'll always be with you"

Ruby shook her head sadly as tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"You have to know that I'm so proud of you" Ross looked up and caught Charlie's gaze again "Both of you. Though I may not show it all of the time"

"You can't die" Charlie muttered slowly "You can't leave us"

"You have each other" Ross reminded them "Make sure that you hang onto that and Joey...Tell her to remember her promise to me"

"You can't..." Charlie repeated.

"Charlie" Ross reached out his hand to Charlie which she instantly took "I'm sorry. For what happened when you were younger...I should have tried to protect you. I should have done everything I could to get justice...But I didn't!"

"It's okay" Charlie whispered emotionally "I forgive you"

"I love you both" Ross said as tears clouded his own eyes "Tell Morag too...I don't know where she is right now but..." he tensed suddenly and his grip tightened on Charlie and Ruby's hands "Ow!"

"DAD?!" Charlie asked in alarm when he remained tense and his eyes squeezed shut "What's..." she was cut off as the steady beep of the heart monitor flat lined suddenly.

"No..." Ruby sobbed as she clutched tightly to his hand "This can't be happening!"

"Flat-Line!" a voice yelled somewhere from behind them. Rachel rushed into the room a moment later with a team of other doctors and pushed them both back gently.

"Charging 200!" she yelled as she grabbed the paddles of the defibrillator and pressed them to Ross's chest.

Ruby quickly turned into Charlie's arms and closed her eyes.

"Charging 250!"

Charlie blinked against her tears and hung onto her daughter as tightly as possible.

"Charging 300!"

A silence filled the air for a moment before a male's defeated voice sounded.

"Time of death...2:46 am"

"No..." Charlie whimpered as she looked up at them.

"Charlie..." Rachel moved forward and wrapped her arms around Charlie and Ruby.

---

"Shit..." Joey murmured as she paced slowly back and forth "What the hell is going on?!" Rachel had returned to her side to explain what had happened but merely 10 minutes ago she had rushed off with no explanation. She looked up suddenly and paled slightly when she noticed Charlie and Ruby walking towards her. She instantly noticed that Ruby's cheeks were tear stained and her eyes still held unshed tears while Charlie seemed close to sobbing herself "Oh My God..." she stepped forward and Ruby instantly rushed into her arms, sobbing quietly. Joey held the heartbroken teen tightly as tears formed in her own eyes. She looked up at Charlie and opened her free arm. Charlie stepped into her embrace and finally allowed her tears to fall unhindered. After a moment they sunk to the ground of the waiting room together in tears as they found their legs unable to support them.

TBC


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

"Hey"

A soft voice from behind her caused Joey to jump slightly and turn around to see Ruby hovering nervously in the kitchen doorway.

"Hey Rubz" she relaxed slightly and offered the teenager a small smile "How are you doing? I mean...Are you okay?"

Ruby shrugged and moved slowly over to sit down at the kitchen table "Not really...Where's Charlie?"

"Um...She headed out" Joey glanced forlornly at the doorway through which Charlie had left "She said she needed some time to think about everything that's happened. I'm sure she'll be back soon"

"Oh" Ruby nodded and bit her lip as she looked up at Joey "I guess that's understandable. She did just lose her Dad after all..."

"Hey" Joey stepped forward and placed her hand on the teen's shoulder "He was your Dad too. You have every right to be hurting right now Rubz"

"I don't know" Ruby sighed sadly "Maybe"

"I'm right here if you ever need to talk, Okay?" Joey dropped onto the seat next to Ruby and gazed intently into her eyes "About anything at all. Anything you're thinking or...feeling. It'll be strictly in confidence. I promise"

"Thanks Jo" Ruby blinked rapidly to dispel oncoming tears from her eyes as she turned her gaze to her lap "I don't think I'm ready to talk about it though"

"I'll wait until you're ready" Joey reassured her with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder "There's no hurry at all. Just...Let me know if I can do anything to help, okay?"

Ruby nodded and looked back up at the older girl "Coffee would be a great start...Do we have any?"

"Already made!" Joey smiled as she stood up and moved over to the coffee maker though she was still deeply worried about the teen. After a moment she turned back around with a fresh cup of coffee in her hand and handed it to Ruby.

"Thanks" Ruby said gratefully as she placed it in front of her.

"No problem" Joey sighed softly as she dropped back into her own seat and they allowed a comfortable silence to fall between them.

After a couple of minutes Joey looked up to see the teen's attention focused on the door "Do you need Charlie Rubz? Because I can call her if you do..."

"Huh?" Ruby's attention snapped back to Joey "Oh...No, I don't need her. Well...I do need her but it's not an emergency and she's busy anyway. I don't want to bother her"

"You know she's never too busy for you" Joey countered quietly "If you need her she'll come back right away"

"I know" Ruby nodded slowly "But like I said I don't want to bother her. I can wait until she comes back"

"Okay" Joey frowned as she leaned back in her sea and gazed intently at Ruby.

"What?" Ruby shifted uncomfortably under Joey's gaze.

"Nothing...I'm just worried about you. That's all" Joey said as she looked away quickly.

"You don't have to be" Ruby mumbled as she crossed her arms in front of her chest "I'm fine"

"You're obviously not fine" Joey argued as she looked up at the younger girl sceptically "And that's completely understandable Rubz...I just wish you would talk to me. You can't keep pushing everyone away"

"Why?" Ruby stood up, tears burning brightly in her eyes and her voice coming out choked "Charlie's doing it"

"Ruby..."Joey too stood up but sighed heavily when Ruby merely shook her head and rushed from the room. She dropped dejectedly back into the chair behind her "Damn it..." the sound of Ruby's door slamming quickly followed.

---

Charlie closed her eyes against the soft breeze which flowed past her and allowed tears to flow freely from her eyes "What am I supposed to do now?" she pulled her knees securely to her chest and sobbed openly into them.

"Charlie?" a male voice sounded unsurely.

Charlie looked up tearfully "Aden..."

"Yeah" Aden sat down on the sand next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly "I heard what happened"

"Oh..." Charlie nodded slowly and leaned into him "I figured you would have...It's a small town after all, isn't it? And...It's been like a week"

"Yeah" Aden sighed "I guess it is. How have you been?"

Charlie shrugged "Not very good...I'm a bit of a mess right now"

"That's understandable" Aden replied as he looked down at her "What about Ruby?"

"I don't know" Charlie sniffled tearfully "She's definitely not doing well but...I haven't been much use to her lately"

"You're hurting" Aden said quietly "That's understandable"

"I'm useless to her!" Charlie wiped her tears away angrily but they just kept flowing "I can't stop fucking _Crying_ Aden!"

"It's okay" Aden turned slightly and engulfed the girl in a full embrace "If you need to cry go ahead and cry Charlie"

"I don't want to!" Charlie sobbed into his chest "It just hurts so much"

"I know" Aden whispered as he tightened his embrace "I know Charlie..."

"I have to go" Charlie pulled back suddenly and stood up, wiping her tears quickly away "I have to go home to Ruby"

"Okay" Aden stood up quickly and took her hand "I'll drive you there. I'm not leaving you alone like this"

"Thanks Aden" Charlie smiled weakly.

"Anytime" Aden shrugged before they began to walk towards his car.

---

"Hey" Charlie said softly as she entered the kitchen to see Joey sitting at the table "Sorry I took off so quickly this morning" she sat next to Joey and gazed at her guiltily.

"Don't worry about it" Joey gazed at the older girl in unadulterated concern and reached to touch her tear stained cheek "Have you been crying?"

"A little bit" Charlie answered honestly as she leaned into Joey's tender touch "I don't really want to talk about it right now though..."

"Oh" Joey frowned and dropped her hand back to her lap "That's what Ruby said"

"Ruby?" Charlie asked as worry clouded in her blue eyes "What happened? Is she okay?"

"She was upset" Joey sighed sadly "I tried to get her to talk about it and stop pushing everyone away but..."

"But what?" Charlie prompted quietly.

"She said that you're doing it" Joey gazed at Charlie intently aware that the statement would sting.

"Oh..." Charlie winced slightly "She's right...I haven't been here for her. She's hurting and I can't even help her"

"I think you just being around helps her" Joey said soothingly as she placed a hand atop Charlie's on the table "You just have to let her in Charlie. You have to stop closing yourself off to everybody"

"I know" Charlie nodded slowly "I just don't know how I can help her when I can't even help myself"

"Just...Be there" Joey wrapped an arm gently around Charlie's shoulders "That's all you can do" they sat in silence before a soft shuffle from the doorway drew their attention towards it.

"Oh..." Joey stood up when she saw Ruby hovering nervously in the doorway tear marks clear on her cheeks "I'll give you two sometime alone" she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head "Remember what I said" she walked out of the room shooting a guilty looking Ruby a reassuring look on the way past,

"Charlie..." Ruby whispered as tears formed once again in her eyes.

"Come here Rubz" Charlie tearfully opened her arms to her daughter causing her to finally move into the room. When she was within touching distance Charlie took her hand and pulled her onto her lap and into a tight embrace.

"Charlie" Ruby whimpered into the older girl's shoulder.

"I know" Charlie whispered through her tears "I know Rubz"

---

"Are you okay?" Joey asked in a soft voice as she turned over in bed and wrapped her arms around Charlie.

"No" Charlie answered quietly "I'm sorry Jo...I know I've been pushing you and Ruby away. I honestly don't mean to" she turned onto her side to look at Joey.

"I know" Joey whispered "It's okay. I'm here for you whenever you need me. You know that" she placed tender kisses on Charlie's forehead, nose, cheeks and finally her lips "I can wait"

"I..." Charlie trailed off as her voice broke and tears formed in her eyes at the tenderness displayed "I don't know what to do Joey...I'm so lost!"

"Shhh...." Joey pulled Charlie into a tight embrace allowing her to sob freely into her chest "I know...its okay"

"It's not okay" Charlie sobbed "Everything's falling apart in front of me and there's nothing I can do about it...I'm a mess, Ruby's heartbroken and...DAD'S DEAD. How am I supposed to deal with this?!"

"It'll be Okay eventually" Joey soothed sadly "I'll help you. I swear"

"There were so many things I had to say" Charlie said tearfully "So many things I needed the answer to and now...He's gone!"

"I know" Joey placed a gentle kiss on Charlie's head and tightened her hold on the sobbing girl "I know Charlie" after a while Charlie's sobbing slowed down and she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

"It'll be okay" Joey repeated as she kissed a falling tear away. She lay in silence watching Charlie sleep before a tentative knock sounded at the door causing her to look up. The door creaked open after a moment and a tentative Ruby stepped into the room.

"Joey?" Ruby whispered as she squinted against the dark "Are you awake?"

"Yeah, I'm awake Rubz" Joey answered as she sat up "What's up?"

"I can't sleep" Ruby whispered wearily "I was wondering if maybe I could..."

"Jump in" Joey said instantly as she shuffled away from Charlie to make room between them. Ruby hesitated for a moment before she clambered into the bed trying not to wake Charlie as she did so.

"Is Charlie asleep?" she whispered.

"Yeah" Joey nodded slowly "She was pretty upset before"

"Oh..." Ruby sighed quietly "I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier today. I know you're only trying to help"

"Its okay" Joey reassured her in a soft voice "You're in pain...I get that. You know that I'm here for you though, right?"

"Right" Ruby sniffled tearfully "It just really hurts Joey..."

"I know" Joey wrapped an arm comfortingly around the teenager and pulled her close. After a moment Ruby's tears stopped and she fell asleep soon followed by Joey. Charlie turned over in her sleep and subconsciously wrapped her arms around her daughter.

TBC


	45. Chapter 45

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews guys. They really do mean a lot. This is a kind of filler chapter but I hope you enjoy it anyway. **

Chapter 45

"Hey" a soft voice caused Ruby to whirl around in surprise. She released a sigh of relief when she noticed Charlie leaning on the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Charlie" she smiled weakly at the older girl and relaxed "Come in" she motioned for her mother to enter and sat down on the bed.

"How are you doing?" Charlie asked quietly as she moved further into the room. She hesitated for a moment before she dropped onto the couch next to Ruby "Are you okay?"

"As okay as I can be" Ruby shrugged and dropped her gaze to her lap "We are about to go to our Dad's funeral after all"

"Yeah" Charlie sighed and shuffled closer, wrapping an arm lightly around the younger girl's shoulder "I'm sorry Rubz"

"Its okay" Ruby sniffled slightly and leaned into the offered embrace "It's not like it's your fault" she reached out and took Charlie's hand, clutching it tightly in an effort to comfort both herself and the older girl.

"I'm here for you" Charlie said sincerely as she dropped a soft kiss on Ruby's head "You know that right? Anytime; day or night. If you need me..."

"I know" Ruby nodded slowly "Thanks Charlie...I don't know if I'd be able to do this without you and Joey"

Charlie shrugged "I'm not being all that helpful right now. I'm just a mess"

"You have every right to be a mess" Ruby said firmly as she pulled away slightly to look at the older girl "You don't have to be strong for me Charlie. What you said works both ways. We can't get through this if we don't stick together"

"You're right" Charlie smiled weakly.

Ruby returned to Charlie's embrace content in the thought that Charlie understood that she was there for her too "I'm sorry that Joey had to take off last night"

"It couldn't be helped" Charlie sighed "'Family stuff' calls...Probably her stupid brother"

"I know" Ruby said softly "But it must be lonely without having her with you"

"I missed her" Charlie agreed slowly "But she'll be back soon and anyway...I had you with me last night. That helped"

"Sorry about that" Ruby winced "I just...I can't sleep much, right now. I keep thinking about him and it just seems that I can't sleep without being close to you. I know that sounds stupid since I'm old enough to sleep without you holding onto me but I just need to know that you're there. That you're okay. It makes me feel better"

"It's not stupid" Charlie argued quietly "It really helps to have you there too"

"Plus..." Ruby smiled weakly "I missed your cuddliness"

"I am not" Charlie laughed softly.

"You are too" Ruby nodded as she pulled back and looked up at the older girl "When I used to sleep in your bed or you used to sleep in mine I'd always wake up with you practically wrapped around me. Face it Charlie: You're a cuddler"

"Fine" Charlie blushed "I admit it"

"It's definitely a good thing though" Ruby said quietly "It makes me feel safe. _You _make me feel safe"

"Good" Charlie smiled and tightened her hold on her daughter "Because I never want you to feel like you're not safe with me. I'll protect you no matter what"

"I know" Ruby smiled faintly and they fell in a short silence "When is Joey coming back?"

"I don't know" Charlie frowned "We have to leave for the...Funeral in 20 minutes"

"Then she'll be back by then" Ruby said confidently "You know she would never leave us to go through that alone"

"I suppo..." before Charlie could get the words out of her mouth Joey rushed through the doorway breathlessly.

"I'm here" she panted "Sorry I'm so late..." she straightened up slightly and smiled softly at Charlie and Ruby. She moved forward and pressed a tender kiss to Charlie's lips before ducking her heading slightly and dropping a kiss on Ruby's forehead "Hey" she sat down next to them still trying to catch her breath.

"Hey" Charlie and Ruby said in unison.

"Is something wrong?" Joey asked hesitantly "More than the obvious I mean?"

"No" Charlie answered "We were just talking, right Rubz?"

"Right" Ruby nodded with a small smiled as she glanced at Joey "Like the fact that Charlie is a cuddler"

"You are" Joey confirmed with a fond smile as she glanced at Charlie "But I love that about you" she wrapped an arm tentatively around Charlie's waist "I'm sorry I had to take off so fast last night. I hate having to leave you alone...Both of you" she glanced at Ruby in concern "I wish I could have been here"

"Its okay" Ruby answered softly "We were okay last night, right Charlie?"

"Right" Charlie nodded slowly "Though it would obviously have been better if you were here. We still had each other though so..."

"That's my girls" Joey smiled proudly "I knew you'd stick together" she glanced at the clock and frowned "Are you both ready for this?"

"No" Charlie answered shakily "But we have to do it, right?" she stood up slowly pulling Ruby gently with her due to their joined hands.

"Right" Joey nodded sadly and stood up, taking Charlie's hand in her own. She cast them a concerned look before walking out of the room with them.

---

"Ruby?" Charlie whispered as she leaned close to her daughter "Are you okay? You're shaking like a leaf. Are you cold?"

"No" Ruby answered quietly "I'm just kind of nervous about this...I never imagined seeing him like this" she leaned back into Charlie's arms and sniffled quietly.

"I know" Charlie nodded feeling her tears forming already as she squeezed the younger girl gently.

Joey glanced at them in concern and placed her hand on Charlie's knee in an attempt to provide comfort.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of Ross Buckton" a loud voice spoke up from the front of the church capturing everybody's attention.

"Ross Buckton was an upstanding member of society and a devoted police officer. The most important things in his life however were his two daughters and his wife"

Ruby released a soft almost inaudible whimper causing Charlie to tighten her grip on her hand despite her own tears. Joey bit her lip, frustrated that she could do nothing to make them feel better and rubbed Charlie's back soothingly.

"And now...Charlie, I believe you have something to say?" the priest questioned as he looked up into her eyes.

Charlie nodded and slowly stood up from her seat. She glanced at a slightly surprised Ruby and reluctantly let go of her hand before she moved hesitantly towards the front of the church. Joey reached across the empty space between herself and the teenager and offered her hand. Ruby smiled tearfully before taking it.

"So..." Charlie's voice sounded as she stood nervously at the front of the church next to the priest "I never expected myself to be in this position...All my life I looked upon my Dad as invincible...Somebody who could survive anything but...He couldn't" she closed her eyes and took a deep breath for a moment before she opened them and focused on Joey and Ruby drawing strength from their gazes "My Dad was actually the reason I became a police officer...I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to make him proud of me instead of seeing as a failure. No matter what we went through...Arguments, fight, disagreements...I always knew he only wanted what's best for me. And...I hope I succeeded in making him as proud as he said he was" she glanced at the priest who smiled faintly at her before she shakily returned to her seat between Joey and Ruby. As soon as she was seated her tears began to come thicker and faster and both her wife and daughter wrapped their arms around her tightly.

---

Charlie stood tense against the slight wind as her father was lowered slowly into the ground. She pulled Ruby securely against her with an arm around her waist and leaned into Joey's comforting embrace.

"Are you okay?" Joey whispered into the older girl's ear.

"Not really" Charlie sniffled quietly as people slowly began to walk away "Ruby?"

"Hmmn?" Ruby turned around and looked up at her mother and Joey tearfully.

"Are you okay?"

Ruby shrugged "Not yet...I just want to head home as soon as possible"

"We'll go home soon" Joey said as she placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. They stood in silence for a few moments before Ruby spoke up again.

"Charlz?"

"What is it Honey?" Charlie looked concerned as she glanced at her daughter.

"I was really proud of you today...For being able to do that in the church. I just thought you should know that..." Ruby offered a small smile.

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie felt tears once again form in her eyes "That really means a lot to me" she pulled Ruby close and hugged her lightly.

"I think I need to get out of here for a while" Charlie spoke suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Joey asked in concern "Where are you going?"

"I mean all of us" Charlie sighed softly "Just to get away from all of this...It'll give us time to clear our heads"

"I think I agree" Ruby spoke up as she pulled away from Charlie and turned around to look at the two older girls.

"Well...If it'll make you feel better" Joey said thoughtfully "We can go anywhere you want." She kissed Charlie's cheek gently

"Thanks Jo" Charlie smiled softly "Now come on...We should get going" with one last sad glanced at Ross's grave she took Ruby and Joey's hands and led them away.

TBC


	46. Chapter 46

**Hey guys! Thanks again for your review. They really mean a lot to me and inspire me to continue writing CJ. The next few chapters are going to contain a lot of Drama/Hurt/Comfort stuff so I hope that's okay! Sorry about the overall Crappiness of this chapter...I figured you all needed a quick update since it's been longer than usual so it was a bit rushed :) **

Chapter 46

Joey bit her lip as she glanced in the rear-view mirror at Ruby who was gazing despondently out of her window, arms crossed defensively in front of her chest.

"Hey" Joey said suddenly as she turned her eyes back to the road "We'll stop by that Milkshake bar you like on the way to where we're going. I'll buy you whatever you want. My shout"

"Really?" a small smile formed on Ruby's lips "Anything I want? Even if Charlie says that there's way too much sugar in it?"

"Absolutely anything" Joey nodded content that she had gotten a smile out of the grief-stricken teenager.

"And I promise not to rant about sugar...too much" Charlie added from her position in the driver's seat. She glanced at Joey and smiled gratefully at her attempts to cheer Ruby up.

"Surprising" Ruby commented quietly, though she couldn't quite manage to use the same teasing tone she usually did.

"So who's ready for our trip?" Joey questioned brightly as both other girls turned silent again.

"You mean the one that you won't tell us about?" Charlie asked with a soft smile.

"Yeah" Joey nodded enthusiastically "It's going to be great. Trust me"

"We've been driving for four hours" Ruby commented as she leaned forward between their seats "Where _are_ we going?"

"I already told you" Joey grinned "It's a surprise"

"Well are we almost there?" Ruby asked as she looked around at the unfamiliar roads "Because I have no idea where we are anymore"

"We'll be there in about an hour and we'll be at the milkshake bar in about 15 minutes" Joey answered. She leaned across Charlie and opened the glove box, pulling out a pile of CD's which she handed to Ruby "See if you can find something to amuse yourself"

"How do you know this place so well anyway?" Charlie asked softly "You seem to know your way around. You don't even have a map"

"I used to come up here a lot as a kid" Joey responded slowly "So I have a good idea about where we're going" she reached across the gap between them and lowered her voice slightly "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"I'm okay" Charlie smiled softly as she took Joey's offered hand and squeezed it lightly "I think the one thing that could make me feel better right now is spending some quality time alone with my family"

"Okay" Joey nodded in understanding "You know that I'm here if you want to talk though, right? I know things have been kind of hectic but..."

"I know" Charlie replied "Thanks Joey...I don't know what I would do without you"

"I second that" Ruby exclaimed as she leaned forward and slid a CD into the car's CD player "Thanks Jo"

Joey shrugged modestly "Anytime" she glanced back at Ruby as music began to play "Seatbelt Rubz"

"Yeah, Yeah" Ruby obediently sunk back into her seat and fastened her seatbelt.

"Lady Gaga?" Charlie laughed sceptically at her daughter's choice in music "Seriously Rubz?"

"Hey" Ruby pouted indignantly "This is good music! Maybe it's past your time..."

"Oi!" Charlie turned and grinned at the younger girl "I'm not that old"

"Yes you are" Ruby nodded with a smile.

"Joey am I old?" Charlie looked to her partner for back up.

"Yes Honey. No Honey" Joey answered robotically though she couldn't help the amused smile that lit her features "Whatever you say Honey"

"See?!" Ruby burst into laughter "I told you!"

"Hmmph!" Charlie huffed jokingly and stuck her bottom lip out "Fine...Just gang up on me!"

"We're only kidding" Ruby said when she finally calmed down "You're not really old..."

"Thank you!" Charlie exclaimed in triumph.

"Dinosaurs are a couple of years older" Ruby added teasingly.

"Ruby Buckton!" Charlie turned around and glared playfully at her daughter "You just wait until we get out of this car"

Ruby swallowed nervously.

"And that would be now!" Joey exclaimed as she pulled into a small car park next to the milkshake bar.

---

2 days later...

"I still can't get over how huge this place is" Charlie said as she looked around the woods in awe. She squeezed Joey's hand as she turned her gaze to the turbulent river at their side "Thanks Joey. You have no idea how much this has been helping"

"All I want is for you and Ruby to feel better" Joey said sincerely as they stopped "I hate it when either or both of you feel bad"

"I feel better" Charlie said softly as she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Joey's lips "And I'm pretty sure Ruby does too" she glanced at Ruby who was walking ahead of them, having to squint slightly because of the dimming daylight.

"Good" Joey stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Charlie's waist "So you like the place?"

"Definitely" Charlie nodded and leaned her head against Joey's shoulder in a moment of peace "It's beautiful. And...Secluded. Just what Ruby and I needed right now"

Joey was about to say something when the wind's strength picked up and rain began to pour "We should get back to the cabin..."

"Ye..." a loud scream cut them off and sent tremors through them. They spun around just in time to see Ruby loose her balance on the corroding river edge and plummet the couple of foot into the dark depths.

"RUBY!" Charlie screamed as she pulled out of Joey's embrace and rushed towards the turbulent river. Without a second thought and running on sheer panicked desperation she dove into the dark water after her daughter. She almost gasped as the icy feeling of the water engulfed her. She squinted through the darkness managing to make out an arm and swam quickly towards it. She grasped it tightly and pulled Ruby towards her in a protective hold. Recognising the harsh conditions of the water and the hard wave mixed with debris coming towards them she turned her body to act as a protective shield. She immediately found the air knocked brutally out of her chest and struggled to resurface against the fierce current.

---

"CHARLIE!" Joey screamed frantically as she hurried along the river embankment "RUBY!" she spotted them a short distance ahead and immediately tried to get closer "CHARLIE! SWIM THIS WAY!" she felt immense relief was over her when she noticed Charlie had begun to struggle her way over to her. As soon as they were in touching distance Joey grabbed onto them both and pulled them out of the rough river.

"Thank God you're okay" Joey panted as she watched Charlie breathing heavily, still clutching Ruby protectively. She winced slightly when she noticed that Ruby had lost consciousness "Charlie? Is Ruby...?"

"The cabin" Charlie said monotonously as she stood up somehow managing to take Ruby with her "She's going to catch a cold. She needs to get warm..."

"What?! Charlie..." Joey watched in amazement as Charlie began to trudge along, carrying Ruby in a grip that didn't falter despite what she had just been through in the river. She shook her head and began to follow, rationalising Charlie's sudden strength with a burst of adrenaline.

---

"Charlie?!" Joey exclaimed as she watched Charlie gently place Ruby onto her bed "Are you even listening to me?" she had been attempting to gain the older girl's attention for the past few minutes but to no avail as Charlie's main focus at the time seemed to be getting her daughter to safety.

"Yeah..." Charlie nodded slowly "Sorry..."

"Ow..." a soft voice sounded causing both Joey and Charlie to look back towards Ruby who had slowly began to sit up.

"Ruby?" Joey asked in concern "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" Ruby winced as she moved her hand to the back of her head "I think I hit my head though...What happened? Why am I wet? Why is Charlie wet?"

"You fell into the river" Joey answered as she glanced unsurely between Ruby and Charlie "You must have hit your head and...Charlie jumped in after you"

"Wow...So that's the second time you've jumped in after me" Ruby frowned in confusion "How did I get back here?"

"Charlie..." Joey turned her bemused gaze towards Charlie "Charlie carried you back"

"You did?" Ruby asked in surprise as she too focused on her mother "Wow...How did manage that?"

Charlie shrugged "I just...couldn't think of anything but getting you somewhere safe. It was probably adrenaline" she moved forward and knelt at Ruby's side "Don't scare me like that again Okay Rubz? I don't know what I would do if..." her voice broke causing her to trail off.

"I won't" Ruby promised before she pulled Charlie into a hug "Thanks for saving me Mum"

"Anytime" Charlie winced slightly at the pressure of the embrace.

"What's wrong?" Ruby pulled back to look at Charlie and gasped when she saw the red liquid staining her shirt "You're bleeding!"

"Bleeding?!" Joey echoed in alarm as she sat on the bed "Where?"

"Just from the debris in the water" Charlie said as she stood up "It's only a couple of cuts and bruises. I'll be fine" she nodded towards Ruby "You should get changed out of those clothes though...Or you'll catch a cold"

"Okay" Ruby nodded concern still clear in her eyes "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine" Charlie smiled weakly "I just have to get changed and patched up" she looked over at Joey who was staring at her in unadulterated worry "You'll help me right Jo?"

"Of course" Joey nodded instantly. She stood up from the bed and turned her gaze to Ruby for a moment "You should stay with us tonight...Since your bed's soaked"

"I don't want to crowd you..." at Joey's look she relented "Okay. As long as you're sure I'm not being a pest"

"You're not" Charlie assured her. She painstakingly leaned down and dropped a kiss on Ruby's forehead "Now get change before you get sick" with that said she took Joey's hand and led her out of the room.

---

"Do you feel better?" Joey asked as Charlie walked out of the bathroom in her Pyjamas.

"I feel achy" Charlie said as she sat down next to Joey on the bed "And I have more 'cuts and bruises' than I first thought"

"Oh" Joey frowned and glanced at the first aid kit next to her "Can I see?"

"Sure" Charlie sighed at the uncertainty in Joey's voice but began to unbutton her shirt anyway.

"That looks like it hurts" Joey winced at the large cut on Charlie's stomach and the dark bruise on her back as well as the other smaller cuts and bruises. She reached for the first aid kit and began to dress the wounds as gently as she could.

"Joey?" Charlie asked softly as she watched Joey's treat her cuts tentatively "Is there something wrong? I'm kind of sensing that there's something wrong between us"

"No" Joey sighed as she lowered her hands and looked back up at Charlie "It's just that you've been really distant lately and with everything that's happened...I think we've drifted a little"

"But are we okay?" Charlie asked nervously as she pulled her shirt back on "You're not...Going to leave me, right?"

"No!" Joey stated instantly "I love you way too much to leave you. It's just...We'll work through it, okay? We can do this"

"Okay" Charlie nodded slowly.

"And you have to promise that you won't do anything like that again" Joey continued "You and Ruby scared me half to death"

"I'm sorry" Charlie responded apologetically "It's just...All I could think about was that Ruby had fallen into the river and...My first instinct was to jump in after her. That will always be how I'll react. I couldn't bear to lose anyone else Jo..."

"I understand" Joey hugged Charlie lightly wary of her many injuries "It's okay"

"I love you" Charlie sniffled as she pulled back to look at Joey tearfully "I love you so much Joey" she leaned forward and kissed the other girl lightly.

"I love you too" Joey whispered before she returned the soft caress.

TBC


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"I'm a mess" Charlie observed as she gazed blankly at herself in the mirror. She sighed heavily and ran a hand through her dark hair in frustration "A depressed, flu infected mess"

"What?" Joey asked in amusement as she appeared in the doorway "Hey. You should be in bed"

"I know" Charlie frowned and turned to face the younger girl "But it's boring and I can't sleep right now anyway"

"Well you need to try" Joey advised gently "To get better. Plus I bet you're still hurting from jumping into the river, right?"

"Sort of" Charlie hobbled forward towards Joey "It's getting better now though"

"So...What were you saying?" Joey questioned curiously.

"I'm a depressed, flu infected mess" Charlie said with a soft smile. She hesitated for a moment before she reached out and took Joey's hand in her own.

"You have every right to be feeling down right now" Joey offered a comforting smile though she couldn't help but worry at the tentativeness of Charlie's actions "And as for the flu part...That's what you get for jumping into rivers I guess"

"Yeah...I guess it is" Charlie bit her lip thoughtfully before she looked around in alarm "Wait...Where _is_ Ruby? Has she taken off or something because I haven't seen her today. She doesn't know her way around...What if she gets lost? She could be attacked or anything..."

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed loudly as she squeezed Charlie's hand interrupting her worry fuelled rant "Calm down. Ruby's downstairs watching TV and you haven't seen her today because you were in bed with the flu"

"Oh...Right" Charlie blushed at her alarm "Sorry about that Jo. I just...I like her to be where I can keep an eye on her. Especially with everything that's happened over the last couple of weeks..." as if on cue her expression fell and she turned her gaze to the ground.

"Hey...It's okay" Joey said softly causing Charlie to look back up at her "I totally understand that you need to be close to Ruby right now"

"You do?" Charlie asked with a weak smile.

"I do" Joey nodded certainly. At Charlie's intent look she shifted uncomfortably "What?"

"There's something wrong" Charlie stated knowingly "With you. With...Us. Something that you're not telling me"

"No there's not" Joey argued as she averted her gaze from Charlie's "There's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine"

"You're also lying" Charlie pulled Joey over to the bed and sat down pulling the other girl with her "I know that there's something wrong. That there's something going on between us. I just...Don't know what"

"It's not important" Joey replied nervously "Nothing you need to be worrying about. Honestly"

"Is it because I've been kind of distant lately?" Charlie guessed "Emotionally and...Physically? I know we haven't been 'together' for a few weeks now..."

"That's not it" Joey shook her head quickly "It's not important right now. Really"

"It's affecting our relationship" Charlie pointed out "So it kind of is important. Our relationship is important...At least to me"

"I didn't say that it isn't" Joey sighed softly "Look Charlie...I just don't want you to have to worry unnecessarily right now okay? It's not going to affect our relationship because I'm not going to let it"

"I deserve to know" Charlie said slowly "I need to know"

"And I'll tell you" Joey leaned forward and kissed her softly "As soon as you're feeling better but right now..." she stood up tugging Charlie with her "Go and see your daughter. She's worrying like crazy down there"

"But..." Charlie began to protest almost immediately.

"We'll talk about it later" Joey held up a hand to stop the older girl from continuing "Now go and find Ruby. I'll be down in a few minutes"

"Fine..." Charlie sighed heavily but made her way slowly towards the door. She hesitated in the doorway and turned back around "Joey?"

"Yeah?" Joey looked up at her lover in concern "What is It Charlz?"

"You're not going to break up with me are you?" Charlie asked vulnerably, fear clear in her eyes "Because I really need you..."

"I'm not" Joey said softly "I promise I'm would never let you go without a damn good fight"

"I love you" Charlie smiled weakly.

"I love you too" Joey said softly as she watched Charlie walk from the room. After a moment she allowed herself to drop back onto the bed "Damn it..."

---

"Hey" Charlie greeted quietly as she dropped onto the seat next to Ruby wincing as she did so "Miss me?"

"Charlie!" Ruby exclaimed before she turned and threw her arms around her mother "You're up"

"Yeah" Charlie winced at the tight embrace "I am but...Do you think you could loosen your grip a little bit there, Rubz? I'm not exactly in tip-top condition right now..."

"Oh" Ruby pulled back and gazed at her sadly "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you or anything"

"It's okay" Charlie pulled the younger girl gently closer on the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulders "It wasn't your fault"

"It kind of was" Ruby spoke guiltily "It was my fault that you had to jump into the river after me...Again. And it was my fault you have a cold...Again" she sighed heavily and leaned her head against Charlie's chest

"It's only a cold" Charlie shrugged and dropped a kiss onto Ruby's head "I would rather have this than lose you any day"

"I know" Ruby nodded slowly "I shouldn't be such a Klutz though"

"No you shouldn't" Charlie laughed softly "So...I heard that you were worrying about me?"

"Yeah" Ruby answered softly "I know that you were more hurt by jumping in that river than you showed and now you have a cold so..."

"It's only a stupid cold" Charlie said as she comfortingly squeezed the other girl's shoulders "I'll get over it in a couple of days"

"There's something else" Ruby said intuitively "Something that's going on between you and Joey"

"You noticed that?" Charlie asked in surprise.

"Of course I noticed" Ruby responded instantly "I do live with you both you know. It's kind of obvious"

"I don't know" Charlie shrugged "Not even I know what's going on with Joey right now. She's being very...Secretive about what's wrong"

"Oh..." Worry instantly formed on Ruby's expression.

"She says that she's not breaking up with me though" Charlie blurted out "So that's not what's wrong"

"I didn't think it was" Ruby frowned "I know that Joey would never leave you again. She loves you"

"I know..." Charlie raised a hand to lightly touch the back of her daughter's head where a slight bump could be felt "How's your head?"

"It's okay...It's healing" Ruby answered with a soft smile "It's a good job I have a hard head though"

"Yeah" Charlie smiled before they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed brightly as she bounded down the stairs coming to a stop in front of them "I'm going to the video store to find something to cheer us up...Anything specific you want?"

"Can you get B...?" Ruby started before being cut off by Joey.

"Ben and Jerry's Phish Food Ice cream...Already on the list" Joey nodded before turning to Charlie "Charlie?"

"No...I do have a request on the Movie though" at Joey's nod she continued "Buy anything you want as long as it's as unrealistic and un-depressing as possible"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded in agreement "Preferably a horror movie"

"Got it" Joey nodded before she moved forward and kissed Charlie lightly "Don't worry...I'll get a Rom-com to even it out"

"Thanks Jo" Charlie smiled happily "You're a star. But be careful...It's getting dark outside"

"I know!" Joey exclaimed exaggeratedly before she pulled away and pressed a soft kiss to Ruby's head "I'll be back soon"

"Bye" Charlie and Ruby echoed in unison as they watched Joey walk out of the room.

---

"I'm back!" Joey called as she stumbled through the door laden with bags. When she reached the doorway to the living room she stopped and smiled when she noticed Charlie and Ruby were in the exact position she had left them in.

"Hey" Charlie greeted with a warm smile.

"Hey Joey!" Ruby finally shifted from her place next to Charlie "Did you get my ice cream?!"

"Yeah" Joey laughed as she pulled the ice cream out of the bag and handed it to the teenager.

"What movies did you get?" Charlie asked curiously as she glanced at the bag in Joey's hand.

"I got...28 days later and never been kissed" Joey responded as she pulled the DVD's out of the bag "Any requests for which one we watch first?"

"Zombies!" Ruby answered around the spoon in her mouth.

"What she said" Charlie nodded.

"Zombies it is!" Joey exclaimed before she moved forward and inserted the disk into the DVD player. She dimmed the lights before moving to sit between Charlie and Ruby on the couch "So how are my favourite girls?" she wrapped an arm lightly around their shoulders.

"Better" Ruby answered quietly "I think it's getting easier, right Charlie?"

"Right" Charlie nodded unsurely in agreement and leaned further into Joey's embrace, focusing on the movie.

---

"NOOOO!"

A loud scream caused Joey to bolt upright in bed and look around in alarm. Her eyes immediately fell on Charlie who was sitting up next to her, wide eyed and breathing heavily. Panic was clear on her expression.

"Charlie?!" Joey scrambled to untangle herself from the covers and reached out to the older girl.

"NO!" Charlie yelled pulling away from Joey's touch "You can't...You can't take them. I won't let you!"

"Charlie?" Joey's voice sounded fearfully "What's wrong? Can you tell me what happened?!"

"No..." Charlie whimpered and shook her head "They're not gone...That's not what happened!"

"Charlie?!" Joey reached forward again and grabbed Charlie's shaking hands "Charlie, can you hear me?"

"They're not gone!" Charlie repeated tearfully "Let go of me!" she began to struggle against Joey's grip.

"It's just me!" Joey exclaimed as she held onto Charlie even tighter "Charlie it's me...its Joey!"

"NO!"

"Charlie listen to my voice" Joey said loudly as she shifted her grip "LISTEN CHARLIE! It's just me...its Joey" after a moment Charlie stopped struggling and Joey sighed in relief.

"Joey..." Charlie whimpered tearfully before she fell into her lover's embrace wracked with sobs "You...Ruby..."

"Yeah, it's just me" Joey said soothingly "I'm fine...Ruby's fine. Everything's okay" she found that it didn't take long for Charlie's sobs to slow down and eventually the older girl cried herself to sleep.

A knock on the door interrupted Joey's worried thoughts. A moment later Ruby opened the door and stepped inside looking panicked.

"What happened? I heard Charlie screaming"

"She had a nightmare" Joey sighed heavily "It was really bad this time"

"Oh" Ruby frowned and stepped closer to the bed her gaze focused on her mother "Do you mind if I..."

"Not at all" Joey answered "It might help her to have both of us close to her" she watched as Ruby climbed into the bed next to Charlie who as if sensing her daughters presence wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Night Joey" Ruby said softly.

"Night Rubz" Joey sighed in concern. She lay awake staring at the ceiling in worry long after Ruby had fallen asleep.

TBC


	48. Chapter 48

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews guys! I really do love to read what you all think about the fic! Hope you enjoy this chapter (Though it is kind of sad). I promise the next chapter will be happier! **

Chapter 48

Joey awoke with a sudden start and shot up in the bed. She looked around quickly for the source of her disturbance and sighed when her eyes fell on Charlie who was tossing and turning, seemingly in the throes of a nightmare "Damn it Charlie...Not again" she reached out hesitantly and attempted to shake her wife awake gently "Charlie? Charlie wake up!"

"No..." Charlie whimpered as she flinched quickly away from Joey's touch "Stop it...I don't want to!"

"It's only me" Joey soothed just as she had for the past four nights "It's Joey" she felt her heart break in her chest when tears began to stream slowly from Charlie's eyes.

"Stop it!" Charlie sobbed quietly "Get off me!"

"Charlz..." Joey tentatively reached forward and placed her hand on Charlie's shaking arm in an effort to comfort her. She immediately withdrew it however when it only caused the older girl to freak out even more.

"Let go!" Charlie exclaimed withdrawing quickly from Joey's touch. In the process however her erratic movements resulted in her throwing her arm out and hitting it against the bedside table. Joey winced at the loud thud and Charlie awoke quickly, her panic only heightened by the injury. She scrambled quickly out of the bed, almost falling over in her hurry to get away from the tangled sheets and the presence next to her.

"Charlie..." Joey watched in stunned horror as Charlie backed herself into a corner and pressed back against the wall. Her eyes were wide with fear as her gaze flitted around the room in terror. Joey stood up and slowly approached with her hands up in the universal sign of surrender. She stopped abruptly when Charlie whimpered and pressed back even further against the wall.

"Leave me alone" Charlie whimpered fearfully, her teary blue eyes unfocused indicating she was still in the throes of a nightmare, at least mentally.

"Charlie it's just me" Joey responded softly her own eyes tearing up at the sight in front of her "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise"

"You can't take her" Charlie sobbed openly "I won't let you"

"I know" Joey tried to keep her voice calm though it audibly shook as she stepped forward "I'm not going to do anything. I just want to help..."

"Stop!" Charlie yelled throwing her hands up in front of her as if in defence "Just leave me alone!"

Joey swallowed heavily when she noticed the long scratch stretching from Charlie's hand to her forearm obviously from when she had hit the table. She stopped for a moment and gazed at Charlie trying to discern what she could do.

"You can't take her" Charlie repeated again as tears continued to flow down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around herself defensively.

Joey stepped back and walked slowly over to the light switch trying not to panic her obviously frightened lover anymore. She hesitated for a moment before she flicked the switch and light filled the previously dark room.

"Charlie..." she stepped forward hesitantly toward the older girl who still appeared freaked out.

"Stop it" Charlie stated fearfully "Don't come near me"

"It's only me" Joey said when she finally reached the terrified girl "You know that I won't hurt you" she wrapped her arms tightly around a reluctant Charlie.

"I hate you" Charlie sobbed as she fought Joey's comforting grip "I _hate _you!"

"It's okay" Joey soothed fully aware of the fact that Charlie wasn't talking to her "Nothing's going to hurt you here Charlie, I promise" after a moment she sighed in relief when Charlie crumbled against her, her energy seemingly spent and they collapsed to the ground together "I won't let anything hurt you"

"Joey?" Charlie whimpered quietly as she pulled away to look at the younger girl.

"Yeah" Joey smiled tearfully "It's just me Babe"

"I'm sorry" Charlie sniffled as she raised a hand to wipe her eyes, wincing as she did so.

"That looks sore" Joey took Charlie's arm gently in her hand and gazed closely at the long scratch "I'll go and get a first aid kit..."

"NO!" Charlie said quickly; fear clouding her eyes once again "I mean...Could you just stay here with me? I really don't want you to leave right now..."

"Of course I can" Joey said quietly "I'll stay for as long as you need me" she glanced in concern at the slightly bleeding scratch on Charlie's arm. She was slightly surprised when Charlie reached up and cupped her jaw gently causing her to look up.

"I'm sorry I woke you up again" Charlie whispered before she leaned forward and kissed Joey lightly.

"It's okay" Joey said in response when Charlie pulled away "Do you think you can talk about it? What happened in your dream Charlie? Your nightmares have never been that bad"

"Not now" Charlie said quietly "I just...I don't want to be alone right now"

"I'm not leaving you" Joey swore sincerely as she drew Charlie back into her arms and hugged her comfortingly "I'll never leave you"

---

"I just want you to tell me what happened!" Joey pleaded as she followed Charlie from the kitchen into the living room "I'm worried Charlie!"

"You don't need to be" Charlie responded shortly "You shouldn't worry about me anyway...It's not like I deserve it"

"What?!" Joey frowned in confusion at Charlie's statement "What is that supposed to mean Charlie? Of course you deserve it..."

"I just want it to go away!" Charlie stated strongly as she dropped onto the couch "And if I talk about the nightmares...It won't go away!"

"You have to talk about them" Joey said softly as she moved to sit next to Charlie "You can't keep pushing me away. The nightmares...They're getting bad. Or at least the effects are"

"There's nothing I can do about them" Charlie shrugged "I just want to forget about them"

"Last night..." Joey winced as she subconsciously glanced at the long cut on Charlie's arm "You said 'I hate you'...What did you mean by that? Who were you talking to?"

"No-one" Charlie answered stonily though she had visibly paled at Joey's recount "I don't want to talk about it right now"

"You were really upset" Joey sighed sadly as she reached forward and took Charlie's hand gently in her own. She was caught by surprise when Charlie gripped her hand tightly "I just want to help you Charlie...I can't stand to see you hurting"

"I know" Charlie sniffled quietly "But it does Joey...It really Hurts!"

"What hurts?" Ruby's voice sounded from the doorway causing both girls to look up to see the teenager leaning against the doorway a concerned expression on her face.

"Uh..." Charlie started unsurely as she tried to push back her tears.

"What hurts?" Ruby repeated as she stepped further into the room and walked over to them "What's going on Charlie?" her gaze dropped to Charlie's arm and her eyes widened in alarm when she noticed the Long, angry red scratch "What the hell happened?!"

"I had a nightmare" Charlie answered embarrassedly "I went a bit crazy"

"Understatement of the century" Joey sighed quietly.

"Another nightmare?" Ruby frowned as she sat on the arm of the chair next to Charlie "That's the fifth this week"

"I know" Charlie dropped her gaze to her lap "I'm sorry"

"No..." Ruby wrapped her arm around the older girl's shoulders "This isn't an apology thing Charlie...You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just worried. That's all. I wish you would tell us what's going on"

"I can't tell you" Charlie sniffled tearfully as she stood up "You won't understand Rubz"

"Why not?" Ruby frowned "You can tell me anything you need to even if I don't really understand"

"I just can't!" Charlie persisted in frustration.

"Is it about me?" Ruby guessed obliviously "Joey? Dad?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" Charlie yelled tearfully before she fled the room.

"Damn it!" Ruby exclaimed as she dropped from the arm of the chair onto the couch next to Joey "Why can't I learn to keep my mouth shut? I've made her cry now..."

"That wasn't your fault" Joey soothed quietly as she shuffled closer to the teen and placed a hand comfortingly on her arm "Charlie's just going through some things right now"

"I'm really scared for her" Ruby admitted quietly as she leaned into Joey slightly.

"I know" Joey sighed and wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders "So am I Rubz..." she glanced at the doorway Charlie had rushed through and frowned thoughtfully.

---

"Charlie..." Joey mumbled as she turned over in bed and reached for her wife. When she felt only cold blankets and not the warm body she had been expecting she sat up quickly and looked around "Charlie?!" she jumped out of the bed and quickly pulled her clothes on before she rushed from the bedroom and down the stairs. She paused at the bottom when she noticed Ruby sleeping soundly on the couch, a blanket strewn across her.

"Charlie?" Joey whispered as she looked around the room expecting to find Charlie watching over Ruby. When all she heard in response was the steady drum of the rain from outside she swallowed heavily against her fear and moved across the living room. She looked out of the window to make sure Charlie's car was still there and froze at the sight that met her eyes. The car was still there but Charlie was standing motionlessly in the rain a few metres away from the house "Oh my God..." Joey quickly pulled her shoes and jacket on and grabbed a jacket for Charlie before she made her way out of the house into the rain.

"Charlie?!" she called in worry as she approached the soaked girl slowly, mindful of her state of mind. She stopped when she reached her but made no other movement "Charlie, Honey?"

"Joey" Charlie turned her head to look at Joey, her expression calm though tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"What are you doing out here?" Joey asked in concern as she wrapped the jacket around Charlie's shoulders gently "You're going to catch another cold out here...You're shivering"

"I had another nightmare" Charlie answered slowly "I didn't want to wake you up...You shouldn't have to put up with this stuff"

"Charlie..." Joey reached forward and gently cupped Charlie's cheek in her hand "We're in this together. For better or worse, in sickness and health, remember? If you're hurting I want to help you...Let me make it better"

Charlie barely managed to suppress a sob at Joey's display of tenderness "When he died..." she turned her attention back in front of her "I told him I forgive him" she shook her head bitterly and looked at Joey "When I was raped I told him and he did nothing about it. I can never have any justice for what happened to me Joey. I have to live knowing that_, _that guy could be out there doing it again"

"Charlie..." Joey reached out and took Charlie's cold hand in her own, sympathy shining in her eyes.

"And they took her away from me!" Charlie choked on a sob "They took Ruby away from me Jo...I lost so much time with her. How am I supposed to forgive him for that?!"

"I don't know..." Joey said quietly as she watched anger and pain burning brightly in Charlie's eyes. A moment later the older girl pulled away from her grasp and stepped forward turning her gaze to the dark sky, completely ignoring the rain "I HATE YOU!"

"Charlie please stop yelling..." Joey pleaded in worry as she stepped forward "You're going to..."

"I HATE YOU!" Charlie yelled at the sky through her sobs "How could you just LEAVE me?!"

"Charlie..."

Joey and Charlie looked up as Ruby's voice sounded fearfully from the doorway.

"How could he leave me?" Charlie repeated as she turned into Joey's arms and sobbed openly. A matter of seconds later Ruby joined them in their embrace and they sank to the wet ground soaked and sobbing.

"It'll be okay" Ruby said quietly through her tears after a few minutes as she dropped a soft kiss on Charlie's head "We can get through this, right?"

"Together" Charlie said hoarsely as she tightened her hold on her wife and daughter "We can get through this together..." she stood up slowly with Joey and Ruby and grasped their hands tightly before they began to walk slowly back towards the house.

"I don't really hate him..." she said guiltily, feeling the need to apologise "I was just..."

"You were upset. You needed to get what you were feeling out" Joey said quietly as she squeezed Charlie's hand gently "That's completely understandable, right Rubz?"

"Right" Ruby nodded in agreement as they stepped back into the house, shutting the door behind them.

TBC


	49. Chapter 49

**Thanks again for the reviews guys. I'm sure you all know how much your comments mean to me by now. I know I said that this chapter would be happier but I kinda realised that I needed to resolve the issue of the nightmares first (I did try to make it happier near the end of the chapter though!). Merry X-mas guys! Hope y'all enjoy the chapter :)**

Chapter 49

"Charlie?" Ruby called hesitantly as she made her way back into the cabin and looked around for any sign of her mother "Are you..." she stopped when she entered the kitchen and noticed Charlie looking through cupboards "What are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning" Charlie answered steadily as she braced herself with her hands on either side of the sink "I'm trying to keep busy..."

"Oh..." Ruby walked slowly over to Charlie and stood at her side "Are you okay?"

"Peachy" Charlie commented dryly. She quickly backtracked at Ruby's hurt look "Sorry"

Ruby shrugged silently and glanced down at Charlie's arm which still bore the long red scratch "How's your arm? It looks like it hurts" she reached out slowly and couldn't help the wounded expression that surfaced when Charlie flinched away from her touch.

"Its fine" Charlie coughed awkwardly and stepped back "Just my own stupidity again"

"Charlie?" Ruby questioned in a soft voice as she watched the older girl attempting to inch subtly away from her "Are you mad at me?"

"No" Charlie shook her head but refused to meet Ruby's worried gaze.

"Are you sure I haven't done anything?"

"I'm sure" Charlie nodded quickly.

"Then why won't you look at me?" Ruby asked tentatively.

"I'm sorry" Charlie sighed and forced herself to turn her gaze towards Ruby "I'm just kind of distracted right now but...there's actually something I need to talk to you about"

"What is it?" Ruby frowned at Charlie's nervous and pained expression "Is it bad?"

"We should probably sit down..." Charlie hesitantly reached forward and took Ruby's hand before walking into the living room.

"So what do you have to talk to me about?" Ruby asked nervously as they sat down on the couch. She glanced down noticing that Charlie still hadn't released her hand.

"This isn't easy to say..." Charlie swallowed nervously "You know we leave this place in a couple of day's right?"

"Right" Ruby nodded slowly.

"When we get back to the bay I think that It would be best if you went to stay at Aunt Michelle's" Charlie blurted out.

"You...What?" Ruby pulled her hand from Charlie's and gazed at her in shock "You're sending me away?"

"No...Yes" Charlie sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair in frustration "It's not like that Rubz...I just think it would be best for you if you stay with Aunt Michelle for a while. Change of environment and stuff"

"But I need to be here!" Ruby exclaimed strongly "With you and Joey. I need to stay with _you_"

"I'm not exactly the most stable of people to be around right now" Charlie attempted feebly "I don't want you to go but there's nothing I can do to support you right now. You would be better off away from me"

"Y'know..." Ruby stood up from the couch tears burning brightly in her eyes "If you wanted to get rid of me you should have just said so"

"No... Ruby wait!" Charlie called as the younger girl fled from the room. A moment later she heard the thundering of feet running up the stairs and she leaned forward placing her head in her hands "Damn it..."

"You know that was really insensitive" Charlie looked up at the sound of Joey's voice to see her standing in the doorway with a disapproving expression on her face.

"I'm only doing what's best for her" she sighed "I'm no use to her right now...Not like this"

"Sending her away is the absolute worst thing you could do" Joey advised gently as she moved to sit on the couch next to Charlie.

"She needs support" Charlie countered "Something which I really can't give to her right now"

"No" Joey frowned thoughtfully "Do you know how telling her she's better off somewhere else sounded like to her?" she continued without giving Charlie a chance to reply "It sounds to her like you're saying that you don't want her around"

"That's not what I meant!" Charlie looked up sharply.

"You're pushing her away" Joey softened her tone and reached out to place a hand on Charlie's arm "There's only so much I can do Charlz. It would be pointless to send her away because what she needs now...what she _really_ needs right now is her Mum" Joey shifted forward as she noticed tears glittering in Charlie's eyes "She needs you to hold her and tell her that everything's going to be okay. That _you're_ going to be okay"

"I don't know if I am" Charlie sniffled miserably "I'm useless to her Jo. I can't do anything right. Maybe that's why Dad took her away from me..."

"Hey!" Joey interrupted gently as she moved her hands to her wife's cheeks "Stop that. You're not useless. She needs you right now Babe. That's all that matters. I know that whatever's troubling you is between you and Ruby. Nobody else. You have to let her in or it'll never get fixed"

"What if I'm beyond repair?" Charlie smiled lightly.

"Nothing's ever beyond repair" Joey whispered as she pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head "You just have to try hard enough to fix it"

---

"Rubz?" Charlie hesitantly knocked at her daughter's door "Can I come in?" she sighed when there was no response "Ruby?" she paused waiting for an answer before she pushed the door open.

"Come to tell me to pack me bags?" Ruby was turned away from her but the hoarseness of her voice made it obvious that she had been crying "Send me to live with our aunt?"

"Ruby..." Charlie stepped forward and sat on the bed next to the teenager "I..."

"I don't understand it" Ruby sniffled as she turned to Charlie revealing her tears "I don't understand what I've done to make you push me away. To make you feel like you can't trust me"

"I'm sorry Rubz" Charlie once again felt tears building up in her eyes "I don't really want you to leave. I didn't even think about how it would sound to you until Joey told me..."

"You don't want me to go?" Ruby frowned in confusion "Than why were you trying to send me away?"

"I need to tell you something" Charlie said quietly "Something I've been putting off ever since Dad died. Will you listen?"

"Okay" Ruby nodded hesitantly and sat cross legged on the bed next to the older girl.

"I fell pregnant under bad circumstances" Charlie started honestly "Very bad circumstances which left me scarred physically and emotionally" she glanced at Ruby when she felt her flinch slightly "But don't think that I resent you for any of that...I love you no matter how you were conceived. You have to know that"

"Okay" Ruby smiled weakly and nodded urging her to go on.

"Do you want to hear this?" Charlie asked considerately "Because I can stop right now if you want me to..."

"I want to know" Ruby responded firmly "This is important for you. I know that" she reached forward and grasped Charlie's hand in a show of support "Go on"

"You want to know what's in my nightmares?" Charlie asked quietly.

"You can tell me" Ruby whispered comfortingly.

"After I was raped..." Charlie felt Ruby flinch again but continued softly "I didn't tell Dad right away. I was confused and scared but...When I started to get morning sickness I had to tell him. He believed me right away but he wouldn't press charges. He said that it was a waste of time" she laughed bitterly and shook her head causing unshed tears to finally fall "So there was never any justice for what happened to me..." she glanced at Ruby to see that she was just as tearful "After you were born I was still pretty traumatised by what happened and the birth. Mum and Dad sent me to Aunt Michelle's" when the sense of irony hit her Charlie's tears began to come thicker and faster "Then when I got back after a few years...You had started to call them Mum and Dad. You were happy with them. You had warmth and love and security and safety! I could never give you that. I was useless to you"

"What happens?" Ruby whispered "In your nightmares?"

"Dad's gone" Charlie responded through her soft sobs "You and Joey are messing around outside and I'm standing watching you both. I'm completely content and then...There's a guy with a gun. I don't know why or how he got there but...He fires three times and you both hit the floor. I just stand there. I can't move and...I'm useless to you both just like Dad knew I would be to you"

"Charlie..." Ruby shifted forward and wrapped her arms around the older girl in a tight embrace as sobs overtook her.

"How am I supposed to look after you now that he's gone?" Charlie sobbed quietly into Ruby's shoulder "I couldn't take care of you before and now..."

"You're not useless!" Ruby pulled back and gazed intently into Charlie's teary eyes "Do you...Do you remember what I said to you at your wedding?" when Charlie looked like she was going to interrupt Ruby continued "I told you that you're my protector, my guardian angel, that you're the person I can talk to about anything...I meant it all. Everything you saw when you got back from Aunt Michelle's? The warmth, love, security and safety? You give me that! You're the person I feel safest with. I know that you love me and that's all I need"

"Really?" Charlie sniffled.

"Really" Ruby smiled tearfully "And what I need right now is my family. I need you and Joey to get through this. But I need you to let us be there for you too...Don't push us away Charlz"

"Okay" Charlie nodded with a slight smile.

---

"Hey..." Joey stood up and smiled when she noticed Charlie and Ruby walk into the room. She was caught slightly by surprise when Ruby rushed into her arms "Whoa...What did I do to deserve the attention?"

"Thank you" Ruby whispered as she hugged the older girl tightly "For getting her to talk to me"

"Of course" Joey offered the teenage a small smile when they pulled away and glanced at Charlie.

"I'll be back in a minute!" Ruby announced before she rushed off to the kitchen.

"It seems like it went well" Joey noted.

"It went better than I ever thought possible" Charlie smiled as she walked forward and pulled Joey into a breathtaking kiss "Thanks Jo...I don't know what we would do without you"

"Oh suffer endlessly I'm sure" Joey grinned teasingly "But seriously I'm glad that you both talked...I hate seeing either of you in pain" they gazed at each other lovingly before they began to inch closer.

"Nothing you can see that isn't shoooown, nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to beee...."

"Oh My God" Charlie laughed "What was that?"

"I think that was your daughter's attempt at singing" Joey giggled "It's nice to see her happier than usual though..."

"I know" Charlie smiled "Thanks Joey...I kind of feel better now that I've talked to her"

"Good" Joey whispered as she raised a hand to Charlie's cheek "The last few weeks have been killing me..."

"You know I love you right?" Charlie asked as she gazed into Joey's eyes sincerely "I love you so much Jo..."

"I love you too" Joey smiled before she leaned forward and captured Charlie's lips gently with her own. She sighed in contentment when Charlie deepened the kiss and pulled her closer on the couch.

"Are you two at it again?" Ruby questioned in amusement when she returned to the room balancing three steaming cups in her hand "Ow, Ow, Ow...A little help?"

"Oh sorry Rubz" Joey jumped off the couch and relieved the younger girl of two of the cups.

"Thanks" Ruby grinned. At Charlie's questioning look she explained "Hot Chocolate. I know you're still ill and since I didn't make any before..." she set her cup on the table in front of them before making her way over to the TV.

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled as she watched her daughter place a disc into the DVD player "What are we watching?"

Ruby jumped onto the couch on Charlie's other side "Aaal you need is Looove!"

"Across the universe it is than" Joey winced as she snuggled close to Charlie's side.

"We're going to be deaf by the end of the movie" Charlie grinned teasingly.

"Hey!" Ruby pouted as she pressed play on the remote control in her hand "I resent that statement"

"Right" Charlie laughed. She grinned when Joey pressed a soft kiss to her cheek and turned slightly to look at her.

"Love is all you need" Joey whispered with a soft smile. Charlie beamed in response and pressed her lips gently to the younger girl's.

"No making out during the film" Ruby's teasing voice sounded causing them to pull apart.

"Yeah, Yeah..." Joey grumbled in mock disappointment before they turned their attention to the movie.

TBC


	50. Chapter 50

**I'm really sorry about the late update but this chapter is super long! The longest so far, I think! :) Thanks so much to those who reviewed...I really appreciate it. Hope you all enjoy this chapter...**

**Quick FYI: Cam and Summer are Original Characters. Also my dates are kind of mixed up in this chapter...Oh and there's a small sex scene in this chapter (Just a warning). **

_**And **_**on with the chapter: **

Chapter 50

"Finally!" Ruby exclaimed as she jumped out of the car and stretched to soothe her aching limbs. She turned slightly and squinted against the sunlight, watching as Joey and Charlie climbed out of the car "You drive like a snail Charlz"

"I do not!" Charlie protested as she shut her door and leaned against it "I obey the highway code"

"I think you were 'obeying' the wrong code" Ruby grinned "Maybe the pedestrian code? I probably could have walked faster than you were driving"

"You're being overdramatic" Joey said as she walked around to the boot of the car "A slow jog would have probably been necessary"

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed when Ruby burst out laughing "You're supposed to be on my side Jo!" she walked around the car to join Joey and looped her arms around her waist.

"I am?" Joey grinned "And why is that Senior Constable?"

"Because I said so" Charlie narrowed her eyes playfully at the younger girl though she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Well than how could I argue with that?" Joey teased as she pulled Charlie close and kissed her lightly. Unfortunately for them both the movement off balanced them slightly and they stumbled back against the boot of the car.

"Oh my God" Ruby rolled her eyes at their antics "You two are seriously going to injure yourselves with your inability to keep your hands off each other"

Charlie pulled away from the kiss and grinned at her daughter "I can't think of any better ways to injure myself...How about you Joey?"

"Definitely not" Joey laughed as she straightened up slightly "But I should probably be more careful with your injuries and all...I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No" Charlie answered reassuringly "Let's do it again!"

"Do I need to remind you we have to unpack this stuff?" Ruby asked as she moved closer to where they were standing.

"Spoil sport" Joey grumbled. She placed one last kiss on Charlie's lips before she spun around and began to pull their bags out of the boot.

"What?!" Ruby laughed at Charlie who was glaring at nothing in particular "You look like a four year old who's been told no"

Charlie responded by sticking her tongue out at the younger girl "Whatever"

"I'm amazed at your maturity" Ruby teased as she poked Charlie lightly in her ribs.

"Shut up" Charlie giggled as she stepped away slightly "Just because you find it amusing to interrupt me making out with Joey doesn't mean you can tease me for sulking"

"But it's fun!" Ruby exclaimed brightly.

"Are you two going to stand there chatting or actually get your stuff?" Joey questioned with a grin as she shut the boot and grabbed a couple of the bags from the floor.

"Do we have a choice?" Ruby asked rhetorically though she too picked up her bags and walked towards the front door mumbling something about hating having to unpack.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked as she watched Charlie pick up her bags from the ground.

"Yeah" Charlie winced as she slung a bag over her shoulder and it collided painfully with the bruises on her back "I'll be fine"

"I can get those if you need me to" Joey offered "It's really no trouble"

"I'm okay" Charlie smiled at her wife's concern "Thanks Joey"

Joey shrugged though she remained concerned as they made their way into the house and dumped their bags at the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm going to unpack this stuff" Joey said as she looked up the stairs where she assumed Ruby had gone "Ruby's probably already up there so you can relax. You've been driving all day...You're probably tired"

"Joey" Charlie stepped forward and pressed her lips gently against Joey's before she pulled back and grinned at her adoringly "As much as I appreciate your concern and your not so subtle plan to get me to sit down...I'm totally fine"

"But..."

"No buts!" Charlie interrupted the younger woman's protest by placing two fingers on her lips "I'm okay and I'm not going to leave you to unpack everything...Got it?"

"Got it" Joey whispered before she pulled Charlie into a loose embrace "Sorry Charlie...I just don't want you to hurt anymore"

"And I love you for that" Charlie smiled warmly when they pulled away from the hug but remained close "You're my hero...Seriously. I don't know what I would do without you"

Joey shrugged modestly "I don't know what I would do without you either"

"So..." Charlie looked towards their bags breaking the loving moment "Should we unpack?"

"I suppose so" Joey sighed and picked up her bags before she began to walk up the stairs with Charlie right behind her "I agree with Ruby...I hate unpacking. It's boring as hell"

"But it has to be done" Charlie groaned when they reached their bedroom and dropped the bags back onto the floor.

"JOEY?!"

Joey jumped slightly as Ruby yelled her name "WHAT RUBY?!"

"COULD YOU COME HERE FOR A MINUTE?!"

"NO YELLING IN THE HOUSE RUBY!" Charlie called.

"SORRY!" Ruby yelled.

Charlie shook her head in amusement "That daughter of mine sure is something"

"Yeah" Joey nodded in agreement and grinned pointedly at Charlie "I wonder where she gets it from" she pressed a quick kiss to Charlie's cheek before beginning to move towards the door "I'll be back in a minute..."

"Joey?!" Charlie called out stopping Joey in her tracks.

"Yeah?" Joey turned around and gazed at Charlie expectantly.

"Missing you already" Charlie grinned.

Joey smiled in response before she turned and walked out of the room.

"Joey!" Ruby exclaimed as the girl in question appeared in her doorway "I really need to talk to you"

"What about?" Joey asked curiously as she walked into the room and sat on the bed next to the teenager "There's nothing wrong is there?"

"Not wrong" Ruby answered nervously "I just need your opinion about something..."

"Okay..." Joey nodded though she still looked confused "What about?"

"I wanted to do something...For Charlie" Ruby said vaguely, her voice slightly hushed "But I don't know if it'll upset her. It could make her feel better but it could also make her feel worse"

"Erm..." Joey frowned in obvious confusion "I have no idea what you're talking about Rubz..."

"It's complicated" Ruby sighed "I want to give her something to show her how much she means to me but I don't want to upset her"

"Oh" Joey nodded slowly "And you want to know if I think you should risk it or not?"

"Yeah" Ruby answered nervously.

"I think...You should go for it" Joey said after a minute "I think that right now Charlie needs all the reassurance she can get Rubz...I think it would mean a lot to her...Whatever you're going to do"

"Okay" Ruby smiled softly "thanks Jo"

"Can I have a clue?" Joey asked hopefully, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"No"

"Please? Just a little..."

"No" Ruby laughed "It's a secret"

"Fine" Joey pouted jokingly as she stood up "I'll leave you to your packing" she ruffled the younger girls hair playfully before leaving the room.

---

"At last" Charlie sighed in relief as she slumped onto the couch next to Joey "We're finished unpacking"

"Which means we can continue with more interesting activities..." Joey smiled before she leaned close to Charlie and kissed her gently.

"Definitely more interesting..." Charlie mumbled into the kiss as she pulled Joey closer.

"Sorry to interrupt again..." Ruby's voice sounded guiltily from the doorway causing Joey and Charlie to pull away from the kiss and look up at her.

"Don't worry about it" Joey said reassuringly as she sat up on the couch and focused her attention on the younger girl.

"I kind of wanted to talk to you Charlie..." Ruby bit her lip nervously as she took another hesitant step closer "But if you're busy..."

"It's fine" Charlie said as she glanced at Joey "What is it Rubz?"

"I have something for you" Ruby said shifting nervously from foot to foot "I don't want to upset you or anything though. And I'm really sorry if I make you cry or something like that because this is just something I wanted to give you..."

"Ruby!" Charlie interrupted her daughters babble her eyes twinkling in amusement "What is it?"

"I um...Just wanted to give you this" Ruby stepped forward and handed Charlie an envelope "I erm...yeah"

"Okay" Charlie looked from the envelope to Ruby and back again. She hesitated for a moment before opening it slowly and pulling out a card "Oh My God..."

"I figured that since its mother's day..." Ruby said as her cheeks turned slightly pink "And you haven't had one of those for a while...I just wanted to give you something to show you how much you mean to me" she was caught slightly off guard as Charlie jumped off the couch and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie whispered tearfully "You have no idea how much this means to me..."

"You're welcome" Ruby smiled lightly as she pulled away. Her smile faded somewhat however when she noticed tears on Charlie's cheeks "Damn...I made you cry"

"Happy tears" Charlie reassured her quickly.

"Oh...Good" Ruby beamed "I didn't want to upset you"

"You didn't" Charlie said sincerely "Not at all"

"Okay" Ruby hugged Charlie once more before pulling away "I'm going to leave you guys to it than" she glanced at Joey and smiled warmly "thanks for the advice Jo"

"Anytime" Joey smiled in response before Ruby turned and walked out of the door.

"Advice?" Charlie asked curiously as she sat back on the couch next to Joey.

"she wanted to know if she should risk upsetting you" Joey explained as she wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders "I told her she should risk it since whatever she was doing would obviously mean a lot to you"

"It does" Charlie beamed happily as she leaned into Joey's embrace. After a moment she turned slightly and pressed a soft kiss to the younger girls' lips "Thanks Jo...I know I've said this before but I don't know how I would have gotten through the last month without you"

"Anytime" Joey responded sincerely "You know I would do absolutely anything for you Charlie"

"Yeah" Charlie smiled lightly "I know" she leaned up slowly and pressed a slow kiss to Joey's lips, allowing her own to linger for a long moment. The kiss deepened after a moment and Joey pulled Charlie gently closer to her so that she was practically straddling her lap.

"God, I want you so much" Joey panted when they finally pulled away breathless.

"Then take me" Charlie winked before she shifted forward and captured Joey's lips with her own in a passionate kiss. Joey moaned softly and allowed her hands to move under Charlie's shirt to caress soft skin. She shifted slightly and they managed to stand up from the couch without breaking the kiss.

"Come on" Joey grinned when they finally pulled away for air "We need to go upstairs because if I get my way you're going to be naked in about ten seconds..."

"I like the way you think" Charlie managed to say before Joey reclaimed her lips and they started towards the stairs. They stumbled a couple of times but eventually made it to the bedroom where they flopped back onto the soft bed. Charlie sighed in contentment when Joey averted her hand to the buttons of her shirt and began to undo them slowly. After a moment she noticed the younger girl fumbling and pulled back.

"Jo?" she raised her eyebrows in question.

"Damn button won't undo" Joey huffed complete with an irritated pout as she tried to loosen the offending button. She looked at Charlie hopefully "Hey do you mind if I..."

"As sexy as that would be you're not ripping this shirt" Charlie grinned "It cost a fortune...I'll let you do it tomorrow though"

"It won't come off!" Joey whined as she continued to struggle with the button. After a moment it loosened and she grinned in triumph "A-ha!"

Charlie laughed at Joey's ecstatic grin and sat up slightly to pull her shirt off seductively slowly and toss it across the room. As soon as the shirt left her fingertips her lips were captured in a passionate kiss and she fell back onto the bed.

"God you're so beautiful..." Joey muttered as she trailed soft kisses from Charlie's neck to her chest causing the older girl to arch against her.

"Joey!" Charlie panted as Joey captured a nipple in her mouth "I need you right now..." a moment later she moaned softly and her eyes slammed shut when she Joey pressed a light touch to her centre. A gasp escaped her as the younger girl inserted two fingers into her in one fluid motion and she found herself moving in time with Joey's motions.

"Oh God" Charlie muttered her movements speeding up as she felt herself fast approaching the edge. With a loud cry of pleasure she dropped back against the pillows, her heart thudding loudly wildly.

"Hey" Joey said quietly as she gathered Charlie in her arms and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead "Are you okay? I didn't break you, did I?"

"I'm great" Charlie grinned when she was finally able to speak "But now...It's your turn" with that said she leaned up and kissed Joey passionately.

---

"Wow" Joey panted as she curled into Charlie's arm an awed expression on her feature "That was...you're just...wow!"

"Speechless huh?" Charlie giggled softly "I must be something"

"You" Joey leaned up and kissed Charlie gently "Are amazing"

Charlie blushed brightly at the statement "You're not so bad yourself"

Joey smiled adoringly at the older girl before she settled back into Charlie's embrace and inhaled deeply.

"I love you" Charlie said quietly as she dropped a kiss onto Joey's head.

"I love you too" Joey responded sincerely "So much more than I can say"

---

Charlie hummed happily to herself as she walked slowly down the beach later that day, her thoughts filled with Joey. Her gaze fell upon two people further down the beach who were looking around, clearly lost. She walked over to them slowly noticing that she didn't recognise either of them "Hey" when they glanced at her she offered a wave and a warm smile "You look lost...I'm Charlie Buckton. Senior Constable of the town"

"We are lost" the older of the two girls with blonde hair and blue eyes answered with a shy smile "I'm Cameron...This is my sister Summer. We're new to the town"

"Oh" Charlie nodded in understanding when she noticed the difference in accent "So what brings you to Summer Bay?"

"Work" the younger girl responded in a bored tone "It's all work, work, work with my sister!"

"Sum!" Cameron nudged the girl and sent Charlie and apologetic look "We needed a change of scenery and I needed to come here for work so..."

"What do you work as?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Believe it or not I'm a cop" Cameron answered with a soft laugh "I've had some time off lately though"

"Right" Charlie nodded slowly "Well I can show you to the diner if you want?"

"That would be great" Cameron smiled "As long as you don't mind..."

"I don't mind at all" Charlie said as they began to walk "So you're not from around here than?"

"How did you guess?" Summer laughed "Our accents? That's what most people tend to notice about us first"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded and flashed a smile at the younger girl "I'm assuming you're from Britain?"

"Uh-huh" Summer answered, taking an instant liking to the cop "We move around a lot though"

"Okay..." Charlie responded thoughtfully as she led them into the diner "Can I get you guys anything?"

"You really don't have to...." Cameron began to say before Charlie interrupted her.

"I want to though...Coffee?" at Cameron's small nod she turned to Summer "Summer? I'm guessing...Milkshake? Strawberry?"

"How did you know that?" Summer laughed.

"I'm psychic" Charlie grinned "Why don't you guys grab a table?" she watched as they walked away before turning to Colleen who had been watching the interaction with interest "2 coffees and a strawberry milkshake please Colleen"

Colleen nodded "New residents?"

"Yeah" Charlie answered as she looked to where the two newcomers had sat at a table "They looked lost so I figured I should help them out"

"That's nice of you" Colleen said with a smile "If there were more people like you the world would be a better place Charlie dear"

"Thanks Colleen!" Charlie grinned at the unexpected compliment "We'll just be over there..." she motioned in the general direction of the table before she turned and walked towards it.

"Not to seem nosy or anything..." Summer spoke up after a moment "But you look kind of banged up"

"Sum!" Cameron shot her sister a glare and looked at Charlie apologetically "Sorry...She can be kind of outspoken sometimes...she didn't mean anything by it"

"Its okay" Charlie smiled reassuringly "My daughter's actually the same way. And this..." she motioned towards herself "Is kind of her fault. She felt into a river and I jumped in after her"

"Ouch" Summer winced slightly "Sounds...Painful"

"It is" Charlie laughed.

"Not to seem rude or anything..." Cameron started timidly "But you seem kind of young to have a daughter"

"That's most people's general reaction" Charlie responded quietly "I ran into some trouble when I was younger"

"Oh" Cameron nodded in understanding.

"So you're married?" Summer asked curiously her gaze dropping to the ring on Charlie's finger.

"You'll have to excuse my sister" Cameron said as she nudged the younger girl lightly "She's incredibly Nosy sometimes"

"Something tells me you and my daughter would get on like a house on fire" Charlie smiled at Summer "In answer to your question...Yes I am married. Her name's J..."

"Charlie!" Leah exclaimed as she walked over and placed their drinks on the table before throwing her arms around the other girl "Are you Okay? God, we missed you when you were away"

"I'm fine Leah" Charlie laughed when Leah pulled away. At Leah's slightly concerned expression her smile faded "I'm coping with that"

"What happened to you?" Leah asked when she noticed the younger girl's cuts and bruises.

"Long story" Charlie answered "Ask Ruby when you see her..."

"Oh!" Leah turned to the two newcomers and offered them a small smile "I'm sorry...I'm Leah"

"Cameron" Cameron responded with a soft smile "This is my sister Summer"

"They're new" Charlie explained to Leah.

"Well it's nice to meet you" Leah nodded before she turned back to Charlie "Make sure you tell Joey and Ruby that I want to talk to them okay Charlie?"

"Got it" Charlie nodded as she watched Leah return to her work.

"You're married to a girl called Joey?" Cameron frowned.

"Um...Yeah" Charlie nodded in response "Do you have a...Problem with that?"

"No" Cameron shook her head quickly "Not at all. Definitely not. I just knew somebody around here called Joey, that's all"

"Besides" Summer grinned as she sipped at her milkshake "that would be rather hypocritical of her wouldn't it Cam?"

"Erm...Yeah" Cameron nodded shortly and looked down at her coffee.

Charlie sank back into her chair and watched the blonde girl carefully, somewhat intrigued by her behaviour. She was beautiful, there was no doubt of that but she seemed somewhat shy. Charlie's attention was drawn toward the girl's hand which was fidgeting nervously with a necklace around her neck attached to which was a gold ring.

"Thanks for doing this" Cameron said suddenly as she looked up into Charlie's blue eyes "You really didn't have to"

"It's no problem" Charlie reassured her sincerely.

---

"I met this girl today..." Charlie called as she sprawled out on her bed.

"Yeah?" Joey grinned as she walked into the bedroom "Should I be worried?"

"Definitely not" Charlie pulled Joey down next to her and kissed her quickly "She seemed nice...She just moved here with her sister"

"What was her name?" Joey questioned tiredly as she wrapped her arms around Charlie and snuggled close to her.

"Cameron" Charlie responded "Her sister's name was Summer" she found herself slightly surprised when Joey tensed against her "What? What is it?"

"Uh...Nothing" Joey managed to speak through her shock "I just find it kind of funny...Summer. Moving to _Summer_ Bay"

"Yeah" Charlie chuckled lightly "Apparently Cameron's gay too...Summer said something"

"Oh" Joey nodded though her mind was focused on something else "What did she look like?"

"Blonde hair, Green eyes...Kind of shy" Charlie said as she closed her eyes sleepily and leaned further into Joey's embrace "I remember she kept playing with a necklace which I think had a wedding band on it"

"Oh" Joey nodded slowly.

"I'm kind of tired" Charlie yawned sleepily.

"Then go to sleep" Joey pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head and pulled the covers over them.

"Hmmn..." Charlie hummed in contentment as she snuggled closer to Joey "'Night Jo...I love you"

"I love you too" Joey whispered as she held onto the older girl tightly. She lay awake thinking long after Charlie had fallen asleep.

_Why are you here Cam?_

TBC


	51. Chapter 51

**Hey guys! Thanks again for all of your great reviews. I really, really appreciate them! Sorry about the late update but I tried to write this last night (When I wasn't exactly sober) and fell asleep half way through...Sorry! **

** Drowningnotwaving: Wow! I can't believe you got the TSCC reference...Go you! I am indeed a Summer Glau/Terminator TSCC fan! Love that show and S.G is a cutie lol :D **

**Hope you're all still following this story and enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter 51 

"Charlie?!" Ruby yelled as she bound down the stairs and headed towards the living room "Have you seen my..."

"Shhh!" Charlie and Joey shushed Ruby in unison as she entered the room. The teen looked confused for a moment before her gaze was drawn towards the TV screen and understanding settled on her features "Are you watching this again?"

"Re-runs" Joey answered distractedly without looking away from the screen.

"During the day?!" Ruby asked incredulously as she plopped down next to Joey on the couch "You're turning into an old married couple"

"We are an old married couple" Joey said "Not so much with the old but...Shh!"

Ruby huffed in indignation as she glanced at the bubbly blonde woman on the screen "Whatever. You only watch this because you think the blonde...What's her name?" after a brief pause for thought she continued "Arizona is cute"

"She's yummy" Charlie spoke up earning herself a surprised glance from her daughter.

"Uh-huh" Joey nodded in agreement "Totally adorable"

"You guys are incredibly gay" Ruby stated.

"Gay?" Joey gasped in mock surprise as she turned to look at Ruby "Really? How did you figure that out? I thought we were hiding it pretty well with the wedding and all..."

"Whatever" Ruby rolled her eyes in amusement "I get it...I just didn't think Charlie was _that_ gay"

"_That_ gay?" Charlie asked in confusion "I can only be a certain degree of 'Gay'?"

"No. I didn't mean..." Ruby backtracked quickly "All I meant was that you've never said that you're attracted to a girl before...apart from Joey obviously. It's kind of unusual to see you make googly eyes at some woman on the TV"

Charlie shrugged "I don't know...I don't really want to get into a discussion about my sexuality but...C'mon! She's cute...I'd say Callie is definitely lucky to have her"

"Should I be worried?" Joey questioned in amusement as she turned to Charlie with a soft smile.

"Definitely not" Charlie blushed slightly "You're kind of stuck with me" she pulled Joey close and placed a soft kiss on her lips. For a brief moment the world faded away as Joey's hands rested on her hips and she deepened the kiss.

"Hey" Ruby said as she stood up from the couch "Joey? Charlie? I'm still here you know" noticing that the older girls were incredibly close to falling backwards on the couch she closed her eyes and raised her voice slightly "HEY!"

"What?!" Joey jumped slightly as she pulled away from the kiss "What happened?"

"I'm trying to say something and you two are busy making out like teenagers" Ruby pouted though her tone remained amused "Can you keep your hands off each other for two minutes please?"

"Um...No?" Charlie attempted as she flopped back onto the couch so she was in a lying position. She grinned at Joey and tilted her head in a 'Come Hither' motion. Joey swallowed audibly.

"Really" Ruby sighed "It's useless to try to talk to either of you"

"Sorry Rubz" Charlie's expression turned slightly more serious as she turned her gaze towards Ruby "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Not _wrong"_ Ruby responded "I was just wondering why you two have been sitting around the house all day"

"Do we need an excuse?" Charlie frowned and her gaze shifted to Joey who suddenly looked incredibly guilty "Anyway it wasn't my idea to stay in the house all day"

"Yeah..." Joey nodded her gaze focused on Ruby in an effort to avoid Charlie's suspicious look "That was my idea. I'm not...feeling too well. Yeah...I'm sick"

Charlie smiled at Joey's inability to lie but couldn't help the concern that flooded through her as she wondered why her wife was lying in the first place.

"We should head out for lunch" Ruby suggested brightly "I have nothing to do today and there's no school so..."

"I shouldn't go outside since I'm...sick" Joey stated nervously. She emphasised her claim with a soft cough "But you two can go ahead without me. I'll be fine here"

"You didn't say anything about being sick before" Charlie stated incredulously. She sat up and placed her hand on Joey's forehead "And you don't have a temperature"

"It could be a bug that's going round" Joey suggested quietly "Seriously you two can go. I'll stay here"

"We can't go without you!" Ruby protested "That'll just be no fun"

Joey couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at Ruby's statement.

"Hey!" Charlie exclaimed in mock offence "I can be fun. But..." she turned to Joey "She's right"

"I don't want to spread my disease or whatever" Joey attempted feebly "I should stay in the house"

"Please Joey?" Ruby pleaded puppy dog look firmly in place "It'll be fun and you'll forget about being sick in no time at all...Please?" she looked to Charlie for help.

"But..." Joey began to protest before she was cut off by Charlie closing the small gap between them and wrapping an arm around her waist. She sighed fully aware of what was going to happen "Charlie..."

"Please Joey?" Charlie stuck her bottom lip out.

"No" Joey shook her head reluctantly "I really shouldn't" when she noticed Charlie's sad look intensify she sighed heavily "Fine. I'll come with you"

"Great" Ruby grinned happily "I'm going to get ready. I'll be back in a minute"

"So..." Charlie said when Ruby left the room "You're not really sick are you?"

"What?!" Joey looked up sharply "How did you..."

"You're a terrible liar" Charlie informed her with a soft smile "Seriously though Joey...Is there something wrong? Something I should know about?"

"No" Joey shifted her gaze to her lap "There's nothing wrong"

"Is it about whatever's going wrong between us?" Charlie asked hesitantly "Because I really don't understand...I thought things were getting better"

"Nothing's going wrong between us!" Joey stated adamantly "There's nothing wrong with me Charlie. I just didn't feel like going out and I didn't want to hurt Ruby's feelings by saying that"

"Okay" Charlie sighed softly "You promise?"

"I...I promise" Joey replied hesitantly.

"Good" Charlie whispered before she leaned forward and kissed Joey lightly "Because I'd hate for anything to come between us"

Joey found herself unable to answer verbally and merely nodded.

---

"Is something wrong Joey?" Ruby frowned as she glanced at Joey across the table. The older girl was glancing anxiously around the room while holding tightly to Charlie's hand.

"Wrong?!" Joey asked her voice an octave higher than usual "Of course not. Nothing's wrong. Nope. I'm perfectly fine...Finer than fine actually"

"Riiight" Ruby rolled her eyes "If you say so"

"Jo?" Charlie whispered.

"Charlie?" Joey swallowed heavily and turned to look into familiar blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" Charlie questioned in concern as she moved her hand to rest lightly on Joey's thigh "You look kind of panicked over there"

"I'm fine" Joey took a deep breath and offered Charlie a small smile "I'm sorry. I'm just kind of jumpy today"

"Why?" Charlie frowned "Has something happened to make you this worried? You can tell me you know"

"I know" Joey said as she grasped Charlie's hand lightly "But I'll be okay. Honestly. Maybe I'm just over-caffeinated and it's making me jumpy"

"Maybe" Charlie whispered unsurely.

Ruby watched them curiously as she sipped at her drink "You two are being really weird"

"We're always weird" Charlie responded with a reassuring smile "Don't worry about it Rubz"

"Yeah" Joey shook her head and forced herself to focus "You should really know that by now"

"Hmmn..." Ruby nodded though she still looked thoughtfully concerned.

"So I'm back at work next week..." Charlie exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" Joey turned and looked at her in shock "Next week? Why didn't you tell me that?"

"I only found out about it today" Charlie said apologetically "Apparently there's a new case I have to work on...It sounds serious. Sorry Jo"

"It's fine" Joey sighed but offered a weak smile "It just means I'll have to make the most of your free time"

"Yeah?" Charlie grinned.

"Defini..." Joey trailed off slightly and her eyes widened in alarm "Oh Crap"

"What?" Charlie frowned in concern and glanced around "What's wrong?!" she looked at Joey and frowned when she noticed the younger girl had dropped to the floor under the table "Joey..."

"Charlie!" Joey reached up and tugged lightly on Charlie's hand "Come here...I need to talk to you"

"You need to talk to me under the table?" Charlie smiled quizzically.

"I hope you two aren't thinking about doing what I think you are" Ruby warned teasingly.

"Hey Charlie" a voice sounded suddenly causing Charlie to look up. She smiled warmly when she noticed Cameron and Summer across the diner.

"Hey" she offered them a small wave and gently tugged Joey back to her feet much to the other girl's protest.

"Oh my God...Joey!" Cameron gasped as her gaze settled on Joey who was looking around shiftily.

"Cam...Hey" Joey smiled lightly at the other girl.

"Wait...You two know each other?" Charlie frowned in confusion "How?"

"Um...Complicated" Joey answered guiltily "We probably shouldn't get into it right now. It's not really important"

"Not important?" Cameron echoed, a hurt look adorning her features "Thanks Jo!"

"No, I didn't mean it like that..." Joey began to say before she glanced at Charlie and trailed off.

"Erm...Rubz?" Charlie glanced at her daughter "Why don't you go for a walk with Summer? Show her around for a bit..."

"Sure" Ruby sighed but did as she was told.

"Wow this is awkward" Joey muttered as she looked between Charlie and Cameron "Um...Charlie? We just need a minute..." she pressed a light kiss to Charlie's lips before moving forward and pulling Cameron gently out of the diner, leaving a stunned Charlie behind. As soon as they were out of the diner Joey relaxed slightly and Cameron threw her arms around her in a huge hug.

"God, I missed you so much Jo..."

Despite her hesitance Joey returned the hug tightly for a brief moment "I missed you too Cam" she pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes "but what are you doing here?"

"Does it matter?" Cameron asked quietly "The point is that I'm back isn't it?" she lowered her hand and grasped Joey's gently.

"We...We can't do this" Joey pulled away from the touch quickly "I'm married Cam...We can't do this"

"Oh my God..." Cameron's eyes widened in understanding "You're Charlie's Joey?! You're married to Charlie?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded in confirmation "I am married to her. And I love her. Which is why I won't do this with you"

"But..."

"No!" Joey exclaimed as tears formed rapidly in her eyes "I won't let you mess up what I have with Charlie Cameron"

"You don't understand!" Cameron protested "I don't want to mess..."

"I can't be around you" Joey interrupted as she took a step back "I just can't right now"

"I'm sorry" Cameron attempted feebly "I shouldn't have stayed away for so long...But I really need your help Joey. I'm in serious trouble..."

"I don't care Cam!" Joey yelled "Just leave me alone okay? And don't say anything about us to Charlie..."

"But..."

"Goodbye Cam!" Joey yelled before she walked into the diner, leaving Cameron standing tearfully outside.

---

"So who is she?" Charlie asked for the fifth time as she entered the house with Joey.

"She's just an old friend" Joey lied "She took off a while ago and I haven't seen her for years. I was just surprised to see her back here that's all"

"You seemed pretty upset when you walked back into the diner though" Charlie said in concern "Is there something wrong Joey? If you tell me I might be able to help"

"Its fine" Joey assured her as she pulled the older girl close and kissed her gently "Don't worry about that okay? I'm taking care of it..."

"See?!" Charlie exclaimed, worry appearing once again in her eyes "I knew there was something wrong!"

"Charlie..." Joey took Charlie's hand and gently pulled her to sit on the couch "There' no problem okay? Not with us at least..."

"So the problem's between you and Cameron?" Charlie guessed in confusion "I don't understand this Jo"

"Cameron's an old friend" Joey explained "When she took off there was a lot of unfinished business between us. She wants to talk about it. I don't. So I'm going to stay away from her"

"Um...Right" Charlie nodded "And you're not going to tell me what this 'unfinished business' is? Or why you're staying away from her?"

"No" Joey managed a light smile through her guilt at the lie "Because it's not important"

"Okay" Charlie smiled apologetically "I'm sorry...You know that I can't help but worry about you"

"And I love you for that" Joey responded before she leaned close and placed a lingering kiss on Charlie's lips "I love you" before Charlie had a chance to return the heartfelt sentiment Joey had pulled her into a slightly more passionate kiss, allowing her hands to thread through silky dark hair. Charlie moaned softly and returned the kiss instantly as she pulled Joey closer. When they pulled away they were both slightly breathless.

"I do..." Joey said as she gazed sincerely into Charlie's blue eyes "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else. Nobody else has even come close to the way I feel about you. You're all I need"

"I love you too" Charlie smiled slightly stunned by Joey's heartfelt statement "I love you so much" with that said she pulled Joey back down into another passionate kiss though inside her concern was still rising about what Joey was hiding from her.

TBC


	52. Chapter 52

**Hey guys...First of all I want to apologise profusely for the ridiculous mess I made of the last chapter (I only realised after re-reading it that I had wrote Joey in a completely horrible out of character way). I hope this chapter makes up for that by rectifying Joey's character. I'm again**_** really**_** sorry to anyone who was annoyed. But...Thanks to those who still reviewed. Your reviews kept me writing this because I kind of wavered for a bit. **

**So...here's the next chapter (Longer than usual). Sorry if it seems a little bit rushed (I.e. has a few more spelling mistakes than usual) but it's again 4:22 am and I have to sleep because I have college in a few hours (I wanted to get this chapter up for y'all before I went). Hope you enjoy the chapter! (Sorry **_**again**_** for the last Chapter) :) **

Chapter 52 

"Hey" Charlie said quietly as she moved over to her wife in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her from behind "What are you doing up so early? I missed you this morning..."

"Sorry" Joey apologised as she leaned into the offered embrace and sighed quietly to herself "I was feeling kind of restless and I didn't want to wake you up by moving around too much"

"its okay" Charlie responded softly "Did you go to sleep _at all_ last night? I know you haven't been sleeping very well for the past few days..."

"I went to sleep for a while" Joey said honestly as she turned around in Charlie's arms "I just can't seem to _stay_ asleep" at Charlie's concerned look she quickly continued "It's not serious. There's nothing medically wrong with me or anything"

"So you know what's stopping you from sleeping?" Charlie frowned in concern "What is it?"

"I do know" Joey answered guiltily "But you don't have to worry about it Charlie. It's nothing serious..."

"I do worry about you" Charlie stated seriously "I can't help that...Just tell me what's wrong Jo. I can't help if you don't tell me"

Joey hesitated for a moment before she nodded slowly and pulled away from the older girl's embrace "Okay" she took Charlie's hands and pulled her gently over to a chair. She paused nervously for a moment before she looked deeply into Charlie's blue eyes "It's about Ca..."

"Hey!" a voice sounded from the doorway causing Joey to look up sharply and drop Charlie's hands "Ruby..." she sighed in disappointment at the missed opportunity.

"Oh" Ruby bit her lip guiltily "Did I interrupt something? I'm sorry. I have the worst timing ever...I'm just going to go and let you finish whatever you were doing..."

"It's okay Rubz" Charlie spoke up, stopping her daughter from leaving "What is it?"

"I just came to tell you that I'm going out with Sum in about 10 minutes" Ruby responded slowly as she motioned to the door "I'll be out for a while. Just in case you worry...I'll have my mobile if you need me"

"You're going out with Summer?" Joey questioned, worry clear on her face "Summer as in Cameron's sister?"

"Yeah"

"I don't think that's a very good idea" Joey blurted out.

"Um...Why?" Ruby asked in confusion as she glanced from Joey to Charlie who seemed just as perplexed at Joey's strange behaviour.

"Oh...No reason" Joey shifted uncomfortably under their suspicious stares "It's just...Don't you have homework or something to do?"

"No..." Ruby answered before she focused her attention on her mother "So can I go Charlie?"

"Sure" Charlie nodded "Be back for dinner though"

"Got it" Ruby grinned.

"I'm going for a run" Charlie said as she stood up "We'll talk later okay Jo?" she pressed a quick kiss to Joey's lips before she looked over at Ruby "Be careful Rubz"

"But Charlie I need to..." Joey started to speak but Charlie was already out of the door "Damn it!"

"Is something wrong Joey?" Ruby asked in concern as Joey dropped her head down to her folded arms on the table and groaned in frustration "You seem really weird today"

"Nothing's wrong" Joey said as she looked up at the teenager "Apart from the fact that I'm being a heartless liar right now"

"What?!" Ruby's eyes widened in surprise and Joey mentally kicked herself for her slip "What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter" Joey sighed quietly to herself.

"Does this have something to do with Cameron?" Ruby asked curiously "Or Summer?"

"How do you know that?!" Joey looked up at Ruby in shock "Did they say something to you Ruby?"

"They didn't have to" Ruby said knowingly "It's obvious from your reaction before that there's something going on with you and them. Plus Summer said that Cameron has been really upset for the past few days so..."

Joey looked down in shame "I'm such a jerk. I'm lying to Charlie and I'm treating Cameron like _crap_. What sort of person does that make me?"

"Somebody who's desperate to protect their relationship no matter what the cost?" Ruby suggested as she moved closer and sat next to the older girl "even if it's in a way that could hurt them and others as well as unintentionally damage the relationship?"

"I'm an idiot" Joey muttered glumly as tears formed in her eyes "I didn't even hear Cam out"

"She's more than an old friend isn't she?" Ruby questioned quietly as she leaned forward slightly.

"Yeah she was...Much more" Joey nodded and looked up nervously "What am I going to do Ruby?"

"You're going to talk to Cameron" Ruby advised gently "And then you're going to tell Charlie the truth"

"Well I was _trying_ to" Joey smiled lightly "Until you interrupted us. You really do have the worst timing"

"Sorry" Ruby apologised guiltily.

"its okay" Joey shrugged "I probably hadn't thought it through anyway. I would have just blurted it out...It's a good thing that I have time to think of how to tell her"

"Well in that case I'm not sorry" Ruby smiled.

"Thanks Rubz" Joey pulled the teenager closer and hugged her tightly "What would I do without you?"

"I don't know" Ruby replied wistfully as she pulled back "Suffer Endlessly? Wallow in self Pity? Freak out and get carted off to be checked?"

"Shut up" Joey smiled at the other girl "That was a rhetorical question"

"I didn't catch that" Ruby grinned mischievously "I thought you actually want to know"

Joey shook her head in amusement before her expression turned slightly more serious "So you've been hanging out with Summer a lot than?"

"Quite a bit" Ruby answered "We have a lot in common"

"I figured you would" Joey grinned "You've always reminded me of her actually"

"She seems to be a bit...Freaked out about something though" Ruby said thoughtfully "I asked her about it but she wouldn't tell me. And when I asked why she had moved to the bay she said something like it wasn't safe anymore. But she did tell me that she was worried about something that happened to Cameron before they moved here"

"Wow" Joey said in surprise "She must really trust you. She doesn't tell things like that to just anyone..."

Ruby shrugged "She won't tell me anything else" she glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up quickly "Oh! I'm going to be late!"

"You seem kind of anxious to see her" Joey grinned teasingly "Is there something I should know?"

"What do you...Oh My God" Ruby cheeks reddened at Joey's playful insinuation "No! There's nothing...We're just friends. I mean we're and...I'm..."

"I'm only kidding Rubz" Joey laughed as she stood up and hugged the blushing teen "Now go. But be careful okay? Make sure you take your phone"

"Yes Mom" Ruby said sarcastically before she paused and grinned teasingly at the older girl "Or should I say..._step-mom_"

Joey crinkled her nose at the statement "That makes me feel..."

"Old. I know" Ruby giggled "That's why I said it. Serves you right for your earlier comment"

"Whatever" Joey huffed playfully "Just go"

"I'm going" Ruby said "Joey?"

"Yeah?" Joey asked expectantly.

"Make sure you tell Charlie the truth okay?" Ruby responded seriously "There's no way I can lie to her. I never have been able to actually. It's like she can read my mind or something...It's so annoying. And I swear she has some kind of tracking device tha..."

"I thought you had to go" Joey smiled at Ruby's inability to stop talking.

"Oh...I'm going" Ruby nodded "Bye Joey..."

"Bye Rubz" Joey watched Ruby walk out of the door before she took a deep breath, feeling slightly less sure of herself without the teenagers presence "I have to do this..."

---

"Hey Colleen, Can I get a coffee please?" Charlie asked politely as she came to a stop in the diner, still breathing quite heavily.

Colleen nodded and turned around to get the coffee giving Charlie time to glance around the diner. She paused when she noticed Cameron sitting alone at a table, her gaze focused unseeingly on a Magazine in front of her "Actually Colleen can you make that two coffees?"

"Okay" Colleen sighed dolefully but nodded anyway. After a moment she turned around with two cups in her hand "Here you are Charlie"

"Thanks" Charlie quickly paid and picked the cups up before Colleen could ask any questions. She moved tentatively over to Cameron's table "Hey" she felt a flash of guilt when Cameron jumped and looked up at her in alarm "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you...I thought you could do with some Coffee"

"Oh...Thanks" Cameron smiled warmly at the police officer as she placed the cup of steaming coffee in front of her.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Charlie asked.

"Um...Sure" Cameron said hesitantly as she recalled Joey's words from a few days ago "Go for it"

Charlie sat down and placed her coffee on the table "So Ruby and Summer seem to be getting along well"

"They are?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah" Charlie nodded "Ruby told me that she was meeting Summer today...Didn't Summer tell you?"

"She probably did" Cameron sighed deeply "I haven't been paying much attention lately...I've been kind of distracted by some things"

"Oh" Charlie said quietly "If you want to tell me I've been told I'm a great listener"

"Thanks" Cameron smiled faintly at the other girl "But I don't want to bother you...And I don't think Joey would want you to talk to me anyway"

"Why not?" Charlie frowned in confusion at the statement.

"It's complicated" Cameron sighed as she sipped at her coffee "And she should be the one to tell you...Not me"

"Well I'm talking to you anyway" Charlie stated "Do you want to go for a walk or something...?"

"I don't want to cause..."

"Trouble...I know" Charlie rolled her eyes and stood up from her seat "Are you coming?"

"Um...Okay" Cameron nodded tentatively and stood up.

---

"If you don't want to talk it's okay" Charlie offered as they walked down the beach side by side "I don't want to push you or anything"

"Thanks Charlie" Cameron offered Charlie a soft smile "For doing this I mean. After Mari...It's only been me and Summer for a while so I'm not really used to this anymore"

"Can I ask you something?" Charlie drew to a stop and turned to look at Cameron "You don't have to answer it if you don't want to..."

"Sure" Cameron answered reluctantly.

"The ring you wear on your chain..." Charlie's eyes moved to the gold chain which hung around the blonde girl's neck "Is it a wedding ring? I didn't realise you were married"

"It is" Cameron's hand moved to the ring "But I'm not married. My fiancé..." she swallowed heavily and turned her gaze to the ground "We were only together for about six months but we fell in love right away. I was in a bad place back then and she helped me through it...I just knew she was the one for me...but she died a while ago. It was totally unexpected...A Cerebral Haemorrhage the doctors said"

"I'm sorry" Charlie said gently as she placed her hand comfortingly on Cameron's arm.

Cameron shrugged "I don't know...Maybe I deserved it. Maybe it was my fault..."

"What?!" Charlie questioned in surprise "No...Cam, don't think like that. It wasn't your fault. You could never have done something to even remotely deserve for that to happen"

"Even if I hurt somebody I loved?" Cameron asked as she blinked back rapidly approaching tears "Before Marissa I mean..."

"I don't know what you mean" Charlie said quietly.

"Before I left the bay I was dating this girl..." Cameron admitted in a soft voice "I loved her...I did and she loved me but...There were things that interfered with our relationship. Her family for one...So I ran away from the bay...From her" she smiled tearfully at Charlie's slightly overwhelmed expression "You must be regretting talking to somebody as messed up as I am by now..."

"No..." Charlie shook her head slowly "Not at all...It's just a lot to take in right now. That's all" she looked back at Cameron firmly "It still wasn't your fault...Everybody makes mistakes"

"I'm sure you would change your mind if you knew the full story" Cameron sighed heavily.

"I definitely wouldn't" Charlie said reassuringly as they started to walk again.

---

"Cam!" Joey yelled as she rushed towards the blonde girl who was walking away from her.

"Look Joey...I'm sorry" Cameron said guiltily when Joey caught up to her "I know you told me to stay away from Charlie and all but..."

"You saw Charlie?!" Joey gasped in horror "Does she know about us?"

"No...Not really" Cameron answered "We were talking about things but...I didn't mention your name. I promise...I would never do anything to ruin things for you"

Joey nodded shortly as her gaze dropped to the necklace around Cameron's neck "So you moved on pretty fast from me than?" she flinched at Cameron's hurt look and immediately began to apologise "I'm sorry...I'm such a jerk!"

"It's okay" Cameron said as her gaze dropped to the sand "You didn't know..."

"Know what?" Joey frowned in concern "What is it Cam?"

"I'm sorry I left you" Cameron said quietly "I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. But it seemed like no matter how much I loved you we could never work out..."

"I understand" Joey said quietly "But..."

"I was going to get married" Cameron blurted out suddenly as her hand rose once again to the ring on her necklace "I was a mess when I left you and Marissa...She helped me through it all and...I fell in love with her"

"What happened to her?" Joey asked softly as she took a small step forward.

Cameron took a deep breath and closed her eyes causing unshed tears to spill "She died...She's gone Jo"

"Oh Cam..." Joey felt tears burn her own eyes at the sight of her ex's pain. She took a step forward and enveloped the other girl in her arms "I'm so sorry..."

"She's gone" Cameron repeated heartbrokenly as they slumped to the ground together "She's gone and It's all my fault...And then I _betrayed_ her after she died. It's all my fault. I didn't...I didn't stop him..."

"Shhh..." Joey soothed as she rubbed the other girl's back comfortingly "It wasn't your fault..."

---

"Charlie?" Joey whispered as she turned on the couch to face Charlie "I need to tell you something..."

"What is it?" Charlie pulled back slightly from their embrace and frowned in concern.

"You talked to Cameron today, right?" Joey asked nervously.

"Yeah..." Charlie nodded slowly as sadness washed over her "She was a bit upset"

"I can't do this" Joey said tearfully "I can't keep lying to you..."

"Lying to me?" Charlie echoed as she took Joey's hand and squeezed it comfortingly "What do you mean Joey?"

"Cameron isn't just an old friend" Joey responded in a soft voice "She's my ex. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth sooner. I was just so scared that it would cause problems for us that I wasn't thinking rationally and I know that's no excuse at all for lying to you...I should have learned my lesson after the last time. I'm such an _idiot_!"

"Cameron was your girlfriend?" Charlie asked in shock "You're the girl she ran away from because of your family? That was...you?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded. They fell into silence for a few moments before Joey spoke up pleadingly "Please say something Charlie...Anything?"

"You should have told me" Charlie said softly as her gaze dropped to their loosely entwined hands "Did you know she was coming to the bay? Is that what you were so worried about?"

"She warned me that she was coming. I was going to tell you..." Joey said honestly "But after what happened I didn't want to stress you out. I guess I just hoped that it was a mistake..."

"Do you still love her?" Charlie asked hesitantly as she looked up into Joey's eyes.

"Not like that" Joey said sincerely "Cam was my first love but...You're my true love"

Charlie smiled lightly and squeezed Joey's hand again.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Joey asked guiltily "I deserve it. I was so stupid..."

"It was stupid not to tell me" Charlie agreed "And it kind of hurts that you didn't trust me..."

"I do trust you!" Joey interrupted strongly "I just didn't want to stress you out and then...I didn't want anything to come between us."

"_But_" Charlie smiled lightly as she finished her sentence "You've told me now and that's all that matters. Just...Promise you won't lie to me again?"

"I won't" Joey swore before she leaned forward and kissed Charlie gently "I was so scared you were going to leave me..."

"You told the truth" Charlie said quietly as she pulled Joey back into her embrace "That's what's important right now"

"I love you Charlie" Joey whispered as she snuggled closer to the older girl.

"I love you too Jo" Charlie responded. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her wife's head. They sat in silence for a moment before Charlie spoke up "So did Cam tell you what happened?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded her expression clouded with guilt "I can't believe I was such an ass to her when her fiancé only died a month ago. She said something I didn't quite understand though..."

"What did she say?" Charlie asked curiously.

"She said that she betrayed her Fiancé after she died...That she didn't 'stop him'...What does that mean? I asked her when she calmed down but she wouldn't tell me..." Joey frowned in concern.

"I have no idea" Charlie said thoughtfully as she leaned her head against Joey's.

---

A man whistled quietly to himself as he drove under the dark cover of the night, his headlights turned off to conceal himself further.

"Welcome to Summer Bay" He grinned as he pulled to a stop next to the sign. He stretched and ran a hand through his dark, curly hair "Welcome to Summer bay indeed..."

TBC


	53. Chapter 53

**Thanks again for the reviews guys! They're really appreciated as always. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! :D **

Chapter 53 

Ruby glanced sidelong at her friend as they walked in relative silence "Hey Sum?"

"Yeah?" Summer glanced at Ruby questioningly.

"Is there something wrong with you?" Ruby asked hesitantly as they came to a stop "You seem kind of off today...Unusually quiet" she watched intently as Summer shrugged and sat down on a nearby rock.

"Nothing more than usual Rubz"

"See?" Ruby frowned as she sat next to the slightly older girl "You always say things like that...Like there's something wrong with you but you won't tell me _what."_

"I've only known you for a couple of weeks" Summer said as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them "I'm not just going to throw all of my dark secrets at you..."

"So you don't trust me..." Ruby said as hurt registered in her eyes.

"It's not that" Summer sighed sadly "They're just not my secrets to tell, okay? If I tell you it's like I'm betraying her...She trusts me to keep her secrets"

"Cameron?" Ruby guessed as she leaned back. She continued at Summer's subtle nod "You know if you want to tell me anything _else_ that's okay, right? You don't have to tell me what the secret is...I could help you"

Summer gazed intently at Ruby seemingly searching for truth in her eyes. Although slightly unnerved at the intense gaze Ruby gazed back sincerely. After a moment Summer dropped her gaze to the Rock they were both sitting on "Cameron's worrying me. She's been really distant lately. She doesn't even _talk_ to me anymore...Not like she used to before we ran..." she tensed suddenly as her mind registered what she had said.

"Ran?" Ruby asked in alarm "Ran from what?"

"It doesn't matter" Summer shifted uncomfortably under Ruby's worried gaze "It's not important..."

"It _is_ important!" Ruby exclaimed anxiously "What are you running from Summer? If you tell me I can help you or...or Charlie can!"

"It doesn't matter..."

"If something's wrong you should..."

"SHUT UP!" Summer yelled causing Ruby to trail off and gaze at her in pure shock "I don't want or need your goddamn help! You don't really give a flying fuck anyway..." at Ruby's hurt look Summer stopped, the harsh meaning of her word sinking in "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that..." she turned away slightly as tears filled her eyes "I'm sorry"

"Hey, It's okay..." Ruby reached out and placed her hand atop the other girls. She found herself slightly surprised when Summer flinched slightly "Summer?"

"I didn't mean to snap at you" Summer said tearfully "I'm just..."

"I know" Ruby interrupted as she shuffled slightly closer "Sum? Will you look at me? Please?" after a brief moment Summer raised her teary blue eyes to meet Ruby's.

"I'm your friend" Ruby said seriously "Which means I care about what happens to you...I care about what you're feeling and I'm not going to just get up and leave because you yelled at me." She smiled softly "As for what you said before...I give many flying fucks about you Sum" her smile faded slightly when Summer's tears continued rapidly "Hey...C'mon" she reached forward and hugged the older girl tightly. Summer tensed slightly before she relaxed and returned the hug just as tightly as sobs wracked her body.

"It's okay..." Ruby whispered comfortingly though fear was knotting tightly in her stomach "its okay Sum..."

After a couple of minutes Summer pulled away and coughed embarrassedly as she wiped quickly at her falling tears "I'm sorry..."

"you have nothing to be sorry fo..." Ruby began to say before the other teenage interrupted her.

"I have to go" Summer stood up and hesitated for a moment "I'm sorry Rubz" with that said she turned and rushed away.

"WAIT...SUMMER!" Ruby yelled at the girl's rapidly retreating back. She sighed when she was met with silence "Damn..."

---

Charlie sighed in relief as she slumped down onto the inviting warmth of the couch behind her and stretched slightly to relieve her aching muscles.

"Hey" Joey's voice sounded from the doorway causing the older girl to look up and smile brightly "You're back"

"So it seems" Charlie chuckled as she watched Joey approach her slowly. When she was within touching distance she reached out and pulled the younger girl gently down next to her.

"Where have you been?" Joey asked curiously "You weren't here when I woke up this morning..."

"I had to get some paperwork from the station" Charlie sighed with a dramatic eye roll "Something about having to finish my reports"

"Oh" Joey nodded and wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist "I missed you this morning"

"I missed you too" Charlie beamed before she kissed the other girl softly. After a moment they pulled back and sank into each other's embrace basking in the unusual peace and quiet.

"It's quiet" Charlie observed thoughtfully after a moment "Unusually quiet"

"Not anymore" Joey laughed softly at Charlie's announcement "I should have known you couldn't stay quiet for long"

"Are you calling me loud?" Charlie turned slightly and smiled softly at her wife.

"No. Well..." Joey grinned suggestively "Definitely in some ways. But that's not a bad thing. Not at all..." she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as Charlie blushed brightly at the insinuation.

"Joey!" Charlie nudged the younger girl gently as she felt her cheeks warm up slightly "You're...Am I really loud?"

"I'm only kidding" Joey smiled reassuringly "Sort of" at Charlie's questioning look she continued in a quieter voice "You have your loud moments"

"I guess you bring that out in me" Charlie said as she leaned slightly closer "Because I've never been 'loud' before"

"Well why don't I bring it out in you right now?" Joey pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips "To test that theory?"

"That's the best idea I've heard all day" Charlie responded with a soft laugh before she pulled Joey close and kissed her slowly. Joey shifted position slightly so that she was leaning more towards Charlie who tugged her even closer so that she was practically straddling her. After a moment they pulled back for air and Joey began to place teasing kisses on Charlie's neck eliciting a small moan of pleasure from the older girl who tilted her head slightly to grant more access.

"Joey..." Charlie gasped out loud as Joey nipped playfully at her pulse point.

"Hmmnn?" Joey hummed softly as her fingers traced their way down Charlie's chest "I..." she trailed off suddenly and sat up straight as the door slammed shut. Mere seconds later Ruby stomped angrily into the living room and Joey fought a groan as she shifted so that she was sitting next to Charlie instead of on top of her. Charlie's expression fell slightly when Joey moved and she glanced over at her daughter.

"Ruby?" she frowned in concern when the teenager dropped onto the couch next to her "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" Ruby answered darkly "It's just...Today's been terrible. Really terrible"

"Why?" Joey asked as she sat forward slightly "What's happened Rubz?"

"I was arguing with Xavier" Ruby answered in a hushed voice as she glanced at Charlie. As if reading her mind Charlie lifted an arm and motioned for her daughter to move closer. Ruby moved into Charlie's half embrace and leaned her head against her shoulder before continuing "It was a stupid argument really...He was saying that I'm always ignoring him and I spend too much time with Summer...Like I have to spend all of my time with him or something!"

"Oh" Charlie nodded in understanding and squeezed the younger girl gently "Did you break up with him?" she tried as hard as she could to keep the hopeful tone from her voice.

Ruby shrugged "I don't know...But that's not all"

"It's not?" Joey frowned "What else is there?"

"I was with Summer today..." Ruby started quietly, worry forming on her features as her anger faded slightly "And she seemed really weird. I asked her about it but all she said is that there's something going on with Cameron. I don't know what...and when I tried to press the issue she snapped at me. But then she apologised and she kind of...Burst into tears. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong"

"That's weird" Charlie noted slowly "She didn't say anything?"

"No" Ruby answered shaking her head "She just rushed off..." the teenager's expression turned pensive for a moment "Wait...She said that she was running from something with Cameron. She wouldn't tell me what though..."

"Maybe I should talk to Cameron?" Joey asked Charlie hesitantly.

Charlie nodded and offered a small smile of reassurance "Yeah...Maybe you should" at that moment the doorbell sounded, startling them all for a moment.

"Uh...I'll get it" Charlie said quietly as she got up off the couch. She walked out of the room and opened the front door.

"Hey Charlie" Summer smiled lightly though tear marks were obvious on her cheeks "Um...Is Ruby here?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded though her expression was worried "Are you okay Summer?"

"I'm fine" Summer said quietly "I just...really need to talk to Ruby"

"Okay..." Charlie looked over her shoulder and raised her voice slightly "RUBZ!" a moment later Ruby appeared from the living room. When she reached the door she stopped in surprise as her eyes fell on Summer "Sum...."

"Hey" Summer smiled weakly at her friend "I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

"Oh...Sure" Ruby nodded quickly "Of course we can talk"

"Charlie?" Summer questioned as she glanced at the older girl "Have you seen Cam at all today? I haven't seen her since last night..."

"No...I haven't seen her" Charlie answered in concern "Is something wrong?"

"No...She probably just left early or something" Summer said quietly.

"Hey!" Joey smiled lightly as she appeared from behind them "Charlie...We're going out"

"We are?" Charlie asked in confusion "Why? What for?"Joey tilted her head subtly at Ruby and Joey and Charlie's expression cleared "Oh"

"See you guys later" Joey said before she pulled Charlie out of the door.

"So..." Summer said awkwardly as she shoved her hands into her pockets "Um..."

"Come on" Ruby smiled gently before she turned and walked towards the living room with Summer following her.

"I'm sorry for yelling and running off before" Summer said sincerely "I just needed some time...It wasn't you"

"I know...its fine" Ruby smiled reassuringly "Just forget about it"

"Thanks Rubz" Summer smiled weakly though her mind was still obviously on other things.

"Besides..." Ruby smirked in an attempt to cheer the other girl up "You're kind of shrill when you shout...You sound a bit like a banshee"

"Hey!" Summer laughed and playfully hit Ruby with a pillow. A matter of seconds later the gesture was returned and a full on pillow war broke out.

---

"What was that about?" Charlie asked curiously as she straightened out her clothing before taking Joey's hand in her own.

"We were making her shifty" Joey answered with a soft smile "She get's kind of nervous around too many people"

"She was okay before though" Charlie said as she looked back at the house "What changed?"

"I think it's just when she's talking about something serious" Joey responded "She obviously wanted to apologise to Ruby and she was feeling guilty so it would have been awkward for you to have been there"

"Oh" Charlie nodded thoughtfully and shot a warm smile in Joey's direction "How did you get so perceptive?"

Joey shrugged and grinned at her "It's a gift"

"Hey" Charlie said as she stopped suddenly causing Joey to stop too and squinted at the beach "Isn't that Cameron? Who's that guy with her?"

"I don't know" Joey too squinted to see against the brightness of the sun. She frowned when she noticed that the man with her ex had a tight hold on and obviously panicked Cameron's voice. Even from her their current position they could faintly hear the man yelling "What the hell is..." she trailed off and gasped in shock when the man backhanded Cameron sending her flying to the ground.

"HEY!" Charlie yelled furiously as she pulled her hand from Joey's and sprinted towards the man "Get the hell away from her!" she frowned as the man glanced at her before he turned on his heel and ran away, not even looking back.

"Cameron?" Joey gently helped the girl off the floor and winced when she noticed her bloody lip "Are you okay? Who was that guy?!"

"Nobody" Cameron winced and sat back down on the ground "That was just...A guy"

Charlie frowned at the girl's unsteadiness and knelt down next to her on the sand "Cam? Look at me" when Cameron looked up at her hesitantly Charlie gazed closely at her trying to discern whether or not the guy's hit was enough to cause concussion "Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy at all?"

"A little bit" Cameron said quietly as she turned her gaze back to the sea "that's normal though"

"Normal?!" Joey questioned in alarm as she sat on the other side of her ex "What does that mean Cam? Has he done this before?!"

"Once or twice" Cameron shrugged forlornly "It was a warning after the first though..." she turned her teary eyes back to the sea "I can't believe he's found us again..."

"Who is he?!" Joey asked anxiously as she took Cameron's hand gently "What was he warning you about?"

"He said I have to stay quiet" Cameron responded tearfully "I should have known better...I'm a cop for God sake!"

"What did he do to you?" Charlie asked softly as she reached out and placed her hand on the other girl's shaking shoulder "Just tell me what he did Cam...I'll fix it"

"You can't fix it" Cameron sobbed "I keep remembering it...That night. His hands on me..." she shuddered slightly as she recalled the memory "I can't get rid of him"

"Cameron" Joey said slowly "You have to tell us...Did he....Did he rape you?" she closed her eyes for a fraction of a second hoping against hope that it wasn't true. She opened her eyes and her heart sank in her chest when Cameron nodded slowly.

"I was drunk..." Cameron sniffled softly "This was just after Marissa had..." she paused as her tears began to come thicker and faster "I went out to forget. To drown my sorrows...I got drunk and he followed me home. He attacked me in my own house and I couldn't do a thing about it. I didn't stop him because Summer was in the next room...She would have come running and she w...would have been hurt too...I betrayed her. I betrayed Marissa..." her free hand strayed to clutch the ring tightly.

"You didn't betray anyone" Charlie said soothingly as she noticed Joey was unable to answer and instead had tears tracing down her cheeks "It wasn't your fault. None of this is your fault Cam. It's his and only his. You know we have to report this, right? I can't let him hurt you again..."

Cameron nodded, her tears slowing slightly "It's like I can't get away from him. I thought running would help but it hasn't. He just followed...I don't know what to do Charlie. I see him everywhere. In my dreams and in reality...I keep hearing his voice taunting me as I begged him to stop...I remember he was laughing at me because he said I was "Crying like a sukie little kid..."

Charlie's breath caught in her throat and she recoiled slightly in horror at the statement "W...What? What did you just say?"

"Um...A crying like a Sukie little kid?" Cameron turned her tearful eyes to gaze at Charlie in confusion.

"Oh God..." Charlie slumped backwards onto the sand as her breathing sped up slightly and tears formed in her eyes "No..." she clenched her hands into fists around the sand and clamped her eyes tightly "No..."

"_You're crying like a sukie little kid!" _a dark amused voice echoed through Charlie's head.

TBC


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54 

"_Oh God..." Charlie slumped backwards onto the sand as her breathing sped up slightly and tears formed in her eyes "No..." she clenched her hands into fists around the sand and clamped her eyes tightly "No..."_

"Charlie?" Cameron questioned in concern as she observed the shaking girl "Are you okay? What did I say?" she glanced at Joey in confusion but noticed that her ex seemed just as confused as she was.

"Oh God..." Charlie repeated as she leaned forward trying to regulate her breathing "Not again...Not here"

"Charlie?!" Joey scrambled to her wife's side and placed a hand on her back "Calm down Honey. Just tell me what's wrong, okay?"

"It's him" Charlie said breathlessly as tears tracked rapidly down her cheeks "H...He said 'You're crying like a sukie little kid'"

"Who is he?" Joey asked in concern as she attempted to meet Charlie's downturned gaze but to no avail as the older girl refused to look up.

"He's going to take her away from me" Charlie sobbed quietly "It's _him_ Joey!"

Joey pulled Charlie close and hugged her comfortingly as she shared a look of worried confusion with Cameron. She looked down at the woman in her arms and spoke in a soft voice "What do you mean Charlie?"

"His name's Grant" Charlie looked up and met Cameron's shocked blue eyes "Isn't it?"

Cameron nodded slowly "How did you know his name?"

"He's the guy who raped you?!" Joey pulled back fury blazing in her eyes when she finally realised how Charlie knew the man "He's Ruby's..."

"Biological Father" Charlie said tearfully as she looked at Joey.

"What?!" Cameron gasped in horror "You were raped? Ruby...This is the trouble you ran into when you were younger?!"

Charlie nodded and looked at the sand in shame "I didn't say anything...And now he's here" she tightened her grip on Joey and gazed at her in panic "What am I going to do Joey? He's here! What if he goes after Ruby? What if he hurts her?"

"Whoa..." Joey moved her hands to Charlie's shoulders and gazed into her eyes as the older girls breathing quickened dramatically "Calm down Babe. You're going to hyperventilate if you don't relax a little bit" her gaze remained locked on Charlie's panicked eyes for a moment before the other girls breathing slowed down to a reasonable pace "Okay. We'll talk about this at home. You'll feel less panicked when you see Ruby"

"I don't know what to do" Charlie admitted tearfully as she leaned into Joey and hugged her lightly "I can't believe he's here...I thought he was gone"

"We'll work it out" Joey said in an attempt to comfort the older woman. She stood up slowly, without releasing her hold on Charlie "It'll be okay" she took a step forward before she glanced back at Cam who was standing in the same position as before "Cam? You should come back to our place. Summer's already there with Ruby"

Cameron nodded and fell into step with the other two girls.

---

"Are you sure you're not mad at me?" Summer asked hesitantly from her position on the couch next to Ruby "Because if I was you I would be damn well pissed off with how I talked to you this morning"

"You were upset" Ruby said in a soft voice "That's completely understandable. I shouldn't have pushed so hard this morning. It was my fault really" they fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments before Summer spoke up again in a wistful voice.

"I wish I could tell you what's going on with me"

"But you can't?" Ruby asked quietly as she turned to look at her friend "Even if I swear not to tell anyone? Not even Charlie?"

"If I told you..." Summer shifted onto her side and gazed at Ruby knowingly "The first thing you would want to do would be to tell Charlie about it."

"You're not in trouble are you?" Ruby frowned in concern "Because if this is really serious Charlie can help you..."

"Nobody can help us right now" Summer managed a small sad smile "Not even Charlie"

"I'm worried about you" Ruby confessed softly as her hand dropped to the older girl's "When you say things like that...It really makes me worry that something's going to happen to you and Cameron"

Summer sighed as she looked down at their lightly touching hands "It's complicated Rubz"

"I hate when people say that" Ruby whispered "It usually means that it's something really bad that you don't want to tell me"

"You wouldn't unders..." Summer trailed off as the front door slammed and she jumped up from the couch.

"Jumpy much?" Ruby frowned.

Summer was about to answer when Joey walked into the room, supporting a clearly shaken Charlie. Cameron followed obviously shocked and scared but more composed than the other girl.

"Charlie?" Ruby questioned in worry as Joey set a shaking Charlie down on the couch "What's wrong? Are you okay?" she shuffled close to her mother and placed a hand on her quivering shoulder. When she received no answer she looked at Joey in alarm "What happened Joey? What's wrong with her?"

"Um..." Joey appeared at a loss for what to say as she looked between Charlie and Cameron.

"What?!" Ruby asked urgently "What is it? Tell me..."

"Can I have a minute with Ruby?" Charlie straightened up slightly on the couch and wiped away her tears "I need to talk to her..."

"Sure" Cameron nodded and walked into the kitchen pulling a concerned Summer with her. Joey hesitated for a moment as she glanced between Charlie and Ruby.

"I need you to stay" Charlie whispered as she looked up at Joey "Will you?"

"Of course" Joey nodded and sat on the arm of the chair next to Charlie.

"What's wrong Charlie?" Ruby asked in concern as she looked between Joey and Charlie in pure worry "Has something happened? Are you sick or something?"

"No" Charlie smiled weakly at her daughter's obvious concern but shook her head "I'm not sick Rubz...I just need to talk to you about something. Something important. I..."

Ruby frowned as Charlie choked emotionally on her words and she reached out to take her mother's hand in her own "What is it Mum? You can tell me you know..."

Charlie closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and looking into Ruby's eyes "It's about your father...Your Biological father"

"Um..." Ruby appeared shocked at the topic "what about him?"

"He's here" Charlie said softly "He's in Summer bay Rubz"

"Wait..." Ruby lifted her free hand to her forehead, still in shock "You're telling me that the guy who raped you is in Summer Bay?!"

Charlie paused for a moment before she spoke up again "Yeah...But that's not all..."

"It's not?!" Ruby asked in surprise "Than what...?"

Charlie glanced at Joey for reassurance and received a soft smile and nod in response. She turned back to Ruby and spoke again, in a softer tone of voice "A few months ago Cameron was attacked. By the same man. He was threatening her today on the beach...Telling her to stay quiet. He rushed off before we reached them but..."

"Then how do you know it was the guy who attacked you?" Ruby questioned hopefully.

"It was something he said" Charlie answered painstakingly.

"What did he say?" Ruby whispered.

"While he was..." Charlie blinked rapidly against approaching tears "Y'know...Doing it. I was...I was..." she trailed off as a whimper overtook her and she leaned forward placing her head in her hands "I was telling him to stop...I was begging him to let me go"

Joey bit her lip against her anger as she rubbed Charlie's back soothingly. She glanced at Ruby who was getting more tearful by the second as Charlie continued to explain what happened to her.

"He said something like..."You're crying like a _sukie little kid""_ Charlie continued tearfully "That's stayed with me ever since that night and...He said the same thing to Cam Rubz..."

"They're running from him" Ruby whispered in realisation "This is what's wrong with Summer...This is why she keeps saying that they're not safe here" she swallowed heavily and wrapped an arm lightly around Charlie's waist, leaning even closer to her "Charlie?"

"I don't want to talk to him" Ruby said softly "At all. I don't even want to see him because of what he did to you. I don't need him if you're worrying about me wanting to know him...I have all I need right here with me"

Charlie smiled tearfully and dropped a kiss on her daughters "Thanks Honey...You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah" Ruby said quietly "I love you too"

---

"I'm sorry about this Cam" Charlie said as she and Cameron walked slightly behind Joey, Ruby and Summer.

"What are you sorry for?" Cameron asked in confusion "You haven't done anything"

"What happened to you is partly my fault" Charlie muttered guiltily "If I had done something...If it had been reported..."

"Charlie, stop!" Cameron exclaimed as she placed her hand on Charlie's arm "That's ridiculous. You were only a kid. You couldn't have been expected to do all of that by yourself. What happened to me was not your fault, got it?!"

Charlie nodded slowly as they entered the station "Got it" she moved to Joey's hand and gripped her hand tightly as Watson walked over to them.

"Charlie?" the other police officer asked in confusion "What's going on? Is something wrong? Why are you here on your day off?"

"Georgie this is Cameron" Charlie nodded towards Cameron "We need a restraining order on Grant Bredcloe on the grounds of assault"

"Oh...Okay" Georgie glanced at Cameron and paused for a moment, her jaw dropping slightly "Um...Hey. I'm Constable Watson or well...Georgie as you probably know because Charlie just told you that...Kind of. Erm..." she glanced at Charlie with a look that said _'Help me!' _

Charlie shrugged and smirked at Watson's babbling "You're on your own Watson"

Georgie blushed at Charlie's statement and glanced back at Cameron trying to stay as professional as possible "Erm...Right. Well I'll have that restraining order ready for you as soon as possible Cameron"

"Thanks" Cameron offered the police officer a small smile. Despite the situation Joey and Charlie were barely able to contain their amusement at Watson's glowing reaction to the smile.

"Right" her blush deepening, Watson turned and walked back to her desk.

"What was that about?" Cameron wondered out loud as she watched the constable walk away. She glanced at Joey and Charlie questioningly.

"That sis is what you call fatal attraction" Summer smirked as she nudged Cameron playfully.

"Huh?"

"She fancies you" Ruby informed her with a soft giggle.

"She what?" Cameron questioned in surprise "She_ likes_ me? Why? I mean..." she trailed off as her eyes shifted back to the police officer across the room.

Joey rolled her eyes at Cameron's lack of self confidence "Why do you _think?"_

Cameron shrugged.

"Because you're _hot" _Ruby stated.

"Ruby!" Summer exclaimed as she shoved her friend lightly "That's my sister you're talking about you know"

"Huh?" Ruby appeared confused for a moment before she noticed they were all gazing at her in surprise "Oh...I didn't mean it like that. But you are...I'm just y'know...Stating fact?" she looked at the others for support "right?"

"My sister, remember?" Summer stepped back slightly "You can't ask me that question Rubz"

Joey and Charlie nodded in agreement with Ruby's statement causing Cameron to blush brightly and look away.

---

"What are we going to do?" Charlie questioned in a whisper as she snuggled closer to Charlie in bed "About...Him?"

"I don't know" Joey answered honestly as she dropped a soft kiss on Charlie's forehead "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Ruby though...You know that right? I would do absolutely anything to protect you. Anything at all" she shifted slightly and looked down at Charlie sincerely "You and Ruby mean everything to me. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect you both"

"I know" Charlie whispered as she leaned up and pressed a tender kiss to Joey's lips "Thanks Jo...It's just that I keep thinking about what happened that night...."

"He won't hurt you again" Joey said in a hushed voice as she smoothed a hand comfortingly over Charlie's dark hair "I won't let him"

"I love you" Charlie whispered.

"I love you too" Joey responded just as softly. She leaned down and kissed the older girl slowly, allowing her lips to linger. Charlie clutched Joey's shirt gently and pulled her closer deepening the soft caress. She moaned softly at the first touch of Joey's tongue to her own.

"Charlie" Joey gasped and pulled back when Charlie slipped a hand under her shirt. She shivered slightly as the older girls hand ghosted a trail across her ribs "What are you doing?"

"I need you" Charlie whispered into the stillness "I need you to help me forget. You're the only person who can take it away...Please Jo?"

Joey hesitated for a moment before she nodded and recaptured Charlie's lips with her own, pressing her slowly back onto the bed.

TBC


	55. Chapter 55

**Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate your comments! :) Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy :D. **

Chapter 55

Charlie hummed quietly to herself as she padded into her bedroom and pulled off her shirt as she kicked the door closed behind her. She glanced over to where Joey was sitting on the bed and smiled softly "Hey"

"Hey" Joey replied in a slightly husky voice. She cleared her throat slightly in an attempt to sound normal as she watched Charlie pull on another shirt. She pouted subconsciously as the other girls skin was covered up.

"What?" Charlie smirked when she turned around and noticed Joey's look. She ran a hand through her hair in a quick attempt to tame it.

"Nothing" Joey smiled dreamily as she leaned her head on her hand, her gaze still focused on her wife "It's just..."

"Just what?" Charlie questioned as she took a slight step forward. She grinned when Joey held her hand out and immediately took it allowing herself to be pulled onto the bed next to the younger girl.

"Nothing" Joey repeated as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's lips "You're just..." she smiled softly and brushed a strand of hair from Charlie's cheek "So beautiful" her smile widened when Charlie blushed and looked away bashfully "I'm serious. And it amazes me that you don't know _how_ beautiful you are. You just make me want to..."

"Want to what?" Charlie finally looked up and grinned mischievously when Joey trailed off.

"You know what" Joey smiled lovingly.

"I know but...I want you to tell me exactly what you want to do" Charlie said in a soft voice as she leaned forward slightly.

"Why don't I just show you?" Joey said before she leaned forward and captured Charlie's lips in a heated kiss. Her fingers tangled into soft dark hair as she guided the older girl gently down onto the bed.

"I have to say I like your idea better" Charlie panted when they pulled away for air. She gasped as Joey began to trail small kisses from her jaw to her neck.

"You want to know?" Joey asked against Charlie's rapidly warming skin.

"What?" Charlie asked breathlessly her confusion evident in her voice.

"What I'm going to do to you" Joey laughed at Charlie's lack of concentration before she dropped a kiss on her pulse point, no doubt firmly enough to cause a slight mark.

"Hmmn" Charlie hummed in agreement as she arched to meet Joey's tender touch.

"I'm going to...Worship you" Joey said as she trailed her kisses lower "I'm going to...Ravish you" she sat up slightly pulling Charlie gently with her. Understanding Joey's intentions Charlie pulled off her shirt and tossed it across the room. A moment later they fell back onto the bed and Charlie found herself once again helpless under Joey's attention.

"We need to be quick" Charlie's eyes slid shut as Joey's hands strayed to the button of her jeans "They're going to be here soo..." she was cut off as Joey kissed her passionately.

---

"Charlie?!" Cameron called hesitantly as she entered the house using the key she had been given "Joey?" she glanced at Summer in a shared look of confusion and moved further into the house.

"We're here!" Charlie exclaimed as she rushed down the stairs looking rather dishelved.

"Did we interrupt something?" Cameron grinned knowingly as she watched Charlie fastening the buttons of her shirt "Because we can go if you need..."

"No!" Charlie said in a slightly higher voice than usual "You didn't interrupt...And it's absolutely fine since...We weren't doing anything"

"Yeah right" Summer smirked "And my sister's straight"

Cameron turned and narrowed her eyes at her younger sister "Why do you always bring my sexuality into your arguments?"

Summer shrugged and glanced at Charlie her smirk still in place.

"What?" Charlie shifted uncomfortably under the teen's stare "We really weren't doing anything"

"You have an um..." Summer waved in the general direction of her neck and laughed when Charlie's hand immediately shot to the area to cover the faint red mark.

"Shut up" Charlie mumbled though she couldn't help but smile "You're such a smart Aleck"

"I know!" Summer grinned. She paused for a moment and looked around "Is Ruby here? I haven't seen her for a couple of days"

"Um...No. I don't think she is" Charlie bit her lip slightly worried "She must have gone out...even though I told her not to because of the Grant thing. Damn it..."

"What's wrong?" Joey asked as she walked down the stairs to stand at Charlie's side. She glanced at Cameron and Summer and smiled warmly "Hey guys"

"Hey" Summer and Cameron replied in unison.

"Ruby's gone out somewhere" Charlie answered in concern "And we don't know where"

"But you told her not to" Joey frowned as she glanced at the front door "Ruby knows that Grant's out there somewhere. She wouldn't just ignore you"

"Well that's what I thought too" Charlie said her mind racing with worry "What if he broke in somehow? What If he's taken her?!"

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this" Joey responded quietly as she reached up and rubbed soothing circles on her wife's back.

"Maybe I should go and look for her" Summer offered as she took a step backwards toward the door, worry clear on her expression.

"NO!" Charlie's exclamation stopped Summer in her tracks "No...It's not safe for any of you to be alone right now"

"But Ruby..." at just that moment the front door opened with a soft click and the girl in question walked through it.

"What?" Ruby questioned in a weak voice as she closed the door behind her. A matter of seconds later she found herself wrapped in her mother's tight embrace.

"Don't you ever do that to me again Ruby Buckton" Charlie stated in firm relief as she clung tightly to her daughter.

"Right...Got it" Ruby said in a somewhat choked voice "Um...Mum?"

"Yeah?" Charlie asked without releasing her hold.

"I can't...Breath" Ruby responded though she made no move to actually withdraw from the embrace.

"Oh...Sorry" Charlie pulled away and smiled sheepishly "I was...Worried" after a brief pause her expression darkened slightly and she narrowed her eyes at the teenager "Where were you?! I told you not to go out on your own Ruby!"

Ruby shrugged and moved over to the stairs where she slumped down with an audible thump onto the bottom step.

"Rubz?" Joey questioned in concern as she sat next the pale girl "Are you okay?"

"I've been feeling sick" Ruby said as looked at Charlie "That's why I went out. I needed some air"

"You should have said something" Charlie sighed and knelt down in front of Ruby. She lifted her hand and placed it on Ruby's forehead "You don't have a temperature"

"It's probably fine" Ruby said quietly "It's just because I haven't been eating very well for the past few days"

"You haven't been eating?!" Joey asked her eyes widening in concern "Why not?"

"I don't know" Ruby answered softly "I've just been feeling nauseous so I couldn't"

"Well you need to eat something" Charlie said firmly "Or you're just going to get sicker"

"Fine" Ruby nodded slowly as her eyes slid tiredly shut "I'll eat something...I'll head to the diner in a minute"

"I don't want you going by yourself" Charlie said instantly as she pushed a strand of hair from Ruby's pale cheek "It's way too dangerous out there"

"You don't have to come with me" Ruby replied as she opened her eyes "You said this morning that you have things to do today...Didn't you?"

"Yeah but your health and safety comes first" Charlie said as she glanced at Joey who nodded in agreement.

"I don't want to stop you from doing whatever you're doing" Ruby subconsciously leaned into Joey's side and blinked fuzzily.

"Well you need to eat" Charlie looked over her shoulder at Cameron and Summer "Cam? Would you mind taking Ruby to the diner? I'll be there in about an hour"

"Of course I don't mind!" Cameron replied brightly "Summer's been moping around the house for the past couple of da..."

"Cameron!" Summer interrupted, a bright blush colouring her features as she elbowed her sister lightly in her ribs.

"Ow!" Cameron yelped as she rubbed her side painfully "What was that for?!"

"That wasn't how it sounded" Summer glanced at Ruby and shifted uncomfortably "My sister likes to uh...over exaggerate"

"Um...Right" Ruby nodded and glanced at Charlie "I don't need a baby-sitter though Charlie"

"I didn't say that you do" Charlie frowned and took Ruby's hand in her own "Look Rubz...I just need to know that you're safe okay? Grant...He's out there somewhere and I know what he's capable of" she moved her gaze momentarily to Cameron and they shared a look of mutual understanding "I don't know what I'd do if anything like that happened to you Rubz. You have to understand where I'm coming from here"

"I'm sorry" Ruby whispered guiltily as she leaned shakily forward and hugged Charlie lightly "I understand...I'm sorry I'm being so irritable at the minute"

"its okay" Charlie pulled back and looked at her shaky daughter "Are you okay Rubz? Maybe I should go with you..."

"I'm fine" Ruby smiled weakly as she stood up on unsteady legs. She hugged Joey and Charlie quickly before she moved over to Summer and Cameron "Anyway you'll be there in about an hour right?"

"Right" Joey nodded in response.

---

"Your Mum is going to kill me if I don't get you to eat something" Cameron said with a small smile as she watched Ruby picking aimlessly at her food.

"Sorry Cam" Ruby sighed miserably "I just feel really sick"

"Do you need to see a doctor?" Cameron asked in concern "Because we can go there right now if you want..."

"I'm fine" Ruby looked up and offered a small smile of reassurance "Honestly" she looked down at her food and attempted to force herself to eat despite her stomachs resistance "Sooo...What have you two been doing for the past couple of days?"

"Lying low mostly" Summer shrugged as she sipped at her milkshake "Cameron and Charlie think that's best right now" she glanced at her sister for confirmation.

"Right" Cameron nodded in agreement "At least until we can think of something else to do about him"

"It must be hard for you" Ruby said quietly "I know it is for Charlie..."

"Yeah" Cameron responded sadly as her gaze dropped to the table "It is..."

"Um...So did I tell you that Cameron has a hot date on Friday?!" Summer grinned in an attempt to change the subject as she reached for Cameron's hand under the table and squeezed it reassuringly.

"You do?" Ruby smiled at Cameron "Who's the lucky girl?"

"Remember that cop?" Summer asked as her sister began to blush profusely "Watson I think her name was...?"

"You're going out with Georgie?" Ruby asked in surprise "that's awesome..." she glanced at Summer "So I guess you're staying at my place on Friday?"

"Why's that?" Cameron asked in confusion.

"Well...I'm guessing that she doesn't want to have to listen to..."

"Whoa!" Cameron held up her hands in a sign for Ruby to stop "Slow down Missy...I'll have you know I do not put out on the first date"

"That's not what I heard" a voice from their left caused them to look up. Cameron stood up quickly from the table as he approached.

"Oh My God..." Ruby muttered as she looked at the man closely "Is that...?"

"Grant" Summer confirmed as she grabbed Ruby's hand and stood up, pulling the younger girl with her. Ruby swayed unsteadily for a moment but managed to remain standing.

"What do you want?!" Cameron questioned as she glared at him "You have a restraining order against you"

"You should know by now that they don't stop me" Grant laughed as he glanced at Ruby "So you must be...My daughter?"

"You're not my Father!" Ruby stated angrily as she tightened her grip on Summer's hand.

"Go away" Cameron ordered as she stepped in front of Ruby and Summer trying in vain to hide her fear.

"No" Grant shook his head his gaze focused on Ruby "Come on can't we talk about this? Whatever Charlie's been telling you about me is a lie. She's just trying to hide the fact that she was a slu..."

"Don't talk about her like that you sick bastard!" Ruby growled as she attempted to lunge forward. She was stopped however by her own weakness and Summer holding her back.

"I think you should leave" Cameron said in a calm voice as she stayed protectively in front of Ruby and Summer "You should probably expect a visit from the police"

Grant huffed in annoyance "You'll get what's coming to you" he smirked at Ruby "Tell Charlie I said Hi by the way" with that said he turned and left.

A tense silence filled the diner as Cameron slumped back into her chair visibly shaking.

"We should get out of here" she finally said "Charlie's going to freak" she stood up and paid for their food before she walked out of the diner with Ruby and Summer behind her. She slowed down when she noticed that the teenagers were lagging behind her and turned around.

"I don't feel well" Ruby explained weakly at Cameron's questioned glanced as she clung to Summer for dear life "I really feel like I'm going to fall over in a minute"

Cameron stepped forward and placed her palm on Ruby's forehead "You're warm...We're going to the hospital right now...I'll phone Charlie and Joey on the way"

"What?! No!" Ruby exclaimed in panic "I don't want to worry them..." she stepped away from Summer slightly "See?! I'm totally fi...Whoa!" she shook her head and blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear the fuzziness of her vision "Okay...Maybe I'm not..." she reached unseeingly out for Summer's arm and clutched it tightly.

"Ruby?!" Summer said fearfully "Are you Okay?"

"No...Everything's spinny" Ruby answered her voice slurring slightly "I think I'm..."

"RUBY!" Summer yelled in panic as Ruby slumped unconscious into her arms "RUBY?!"

TBC


	56. Chapter 56

**Thanks again for all of your reviews! I really love reading what you think about the story. Thanks especially to WatsonFan who took the time to review **_**seven**_** chapters in a **_**row**_** :) Thanks! **

**So here's the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy...**

Chapter 56

"You're worrying" Joey said as she gazed down at Charlie whose head rested on her lap "More than usual I mean"

"Can you blame me?" Charlie sighed in frustration at not being able to do something "She looked really sick Jo"

"Maybe we should head to the diner" Joey suggested as she ran her fingers soothingly through Charlie's dark hair.

"I don't know..." Charlie bit her lip unsurely "I don't want it to seem like I don't trust her or something but...I guess this Grant thing has me really freaked out"

"Yeah..." Joey nodded in agreement "That's completely understandable though. Ruby understands that you're only worried about her and that's why you're being so overprotective of her" she paused for a minute before speaking again "Or should I say more overprotective than usual"

"I hope she's not sick" Charlie said quietly, her worry evident in her voice "She didn't look very well before"

"Maybe it's just because she hasn't been eating" Joey pointed out reasonably "That couldn't possibly be good for her and well...We've all been stressed for the past few days"

"I guess so" Charlie nodded slowly "I can't help but think it's something else though..."

"Ruby will be fine" Joey smiled reassuringly "Cameron's with her"

"I know" Charlie responded though she still seemed concerned "I guess I just like to stick close to her at times like these...So I know she's okay"

"She's lucky to have you" Joey commented with a warm smile.

"I don't know..." Charlie shrugged modestly "I just seem to be bringing trouble lately. My issues with Dad, My issues with Ruby, Grant..."

"But we'd still be lost without you" Joey said seriously.

"Yeah?" Charlie sat up slightly and smiled softly at her wife "Well I'd be pretty lost without the both of you too" she leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Joey's lips "Because you mean the world to me" with that said she pulled the younger girl into a slightly deeper kiss.

"So..." Joey beamed when they finally pulled away "Maybe we should go to the diner now to ma..." she was cut off by the ringing of the phone.

Charlie stood up from the couch and picked up the cordless "He...Summer?" she frowned at the frantic sound of the other girl's voice "Summer calm down. Take a deep breath...What's wrong?" she listened for a moment her expression darkening by the second "What do you mean she's in the hospital? What happened?! GRANT?! What does he have to...Summer!"

"What?!" Joey asked in alarm as Charlie lowered the phone from her ear "What happened Charlie?"

"Ruby's in the hospital" Charlie answered monotonously "The line was distorted so I couldn't really make sense of much but Summer said something about Ruby being in the hospital and...Grant" she quickly snapped out of her shock and jumped up grabbing Joey's hand "Come on. We have to get to the hospital!" they raced quickly out of the house and towards Charlie's car.

---

"Cameron?!" Charlie questioned in panic as she raced into the hospital and caught sight of the blonde "What happened? Where is..." she stopped still when her eyes focused on the man leaning against the wall "What is _he_ doing here?!"

"He won't leave!" Cameron exclaimed sounding close to tears herself as she clutched Summer's hand "He just followed us here and now he won't go away!"

Before anyone could say anything else Charlie stormed towards Grant and grabbed him roughly by the collar pinning him to the wall "I swear to God if you've hurt my daughter in any way you're miserable life isn't going to be worth living!"

"I didn't do anything" Grant smirked at her "And I have a right to be here with my daughter"

"She is not your daughter!" Charlie stated adamantly "She is nothing at all like you"

"Charlie..." Joey rushed to her side and attempted to tug her away from Grant "Let go of him...He's not worth it"

"Yeah" Grant laughed "Just let go Charlie"

Charlie's mind clouded with anger and without a second thought she punched him hard across the face. He would have stumbled back from the sheer force if he wasn't already pinned to the wall.

"Charlie!" Joey exclaimed loudly as she continued to attempt to pull her back from the man. She glanced at Cameron for help and the blonde immediately rushed to Charlie's other side. Between the two of them they managed to pull an enraged Charlie away from Grant.

"I mean it" Charlie swore in a dark tone "If you've touched so much as a hair on her head I'm going to kill you"

"Well I didn't" Grant said as he wiped blood from his nose, his smirk long gone "So I have nothing to worry about"

"You have plenty to worry about!" Charlie corrected furiously "Now get out before I call security!"

Grant huffed moodily but moved towards the exit anyway.

"You're bleeding" Joey said quietly as she looked closely at Charlie's right hand.

"I'm fine" Charlie said distractedly as she looked at Cameron "What happened to Ruby Cam? Is she okay? Was it Grant?"

"She collapsed" Cameron answered as she ran a shaky hand through her long blonde hair "We were in the diner and she wasn't really eating because she felt sick. We were just talking and Grant walked in. I told him to leave us alone and he did. Then when we walked out of the diner...Ruby felt really terrible. She couldn't even walk by herself. I was going to take her to the hospital but she just collapsed"

"Oh..." Charlie bit her lip in worry as she nodded slowly "Hey, where's Summer?"

"She was right here before..." Cameron looked around until her eyes fell on her sister who was sitting in the furthest away waiting room chair she could find her knees drawn to her chest "There she is" she frowned at the pained guilty look in her sister's eyes and started towards her.

"Cam?" Charlie touched her arm lightly, stopping her in her tracks "Do you mind if I talk to her for a minute?"

"Not at all" Cameron motioned for her to continue "Go ahead"

"Thanks" Charlie smiled weakly before she moved over to Summer and sat next to her "Hey"

"Hey" Summer sighed miserably as she leaned her head on her knees.

"You're being unusually quiet" Charlie commented softly as she gazed closely at the teenager "Is something wrong?"

"I guess there's just nothing to say" Summer responded sadly. She looked up at Charlie through teary eyes "I'm kind of scared"

"I know" Charlie wrapped an arm around Summer's shoulders and pulled her close "So am I Sum"

"Charlie?" Charlie looked up as Rachel approached her with Joey and Cameron right next to her.

"Rachel!" she exclaimed as she stood up with Summer at her side "What happened to Ruby? What's wrong with her?"

"Well it seems that Ruby suffered from what's called a 'Hypo' otherwise known as hypoglycaemia" when she received four blank looks she continued "She had low blood glucose which caused her to pass out. She's showing signs of diabetes"

"Is she okay?" Joey asked as she reached for Charlie's hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"She's fine...She's awake" Rachel informed them quietly "She's asking for you both. She's kind of freaking out"

Charlie nodded in understanding "Can we go and see her Rach?"

"Go ahead" Rachel nodded "Just follow me...I need to talk to her anyway"

Charlie nodded and glanced back at Cameron and Summer.

"We'll wait her" Cameron reassured her quickly with a small smile.

"Thanks Cam" Charlie smiled before she walked away hand In hand with Joey. They followed Rachel into a room and Charlie sighed in relief as her eyes fell on Ruby who was sitting up in the hospital bed.

"Rubz..." she moved forward and hugged her daughter tightly, feeling suppressed tears build up in her eyes "You're okay..." she pulled back and looked at Ruby closely "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine" Ruby managed a weak smile "A little bit weak but...I'm fine" she glanced at Joey and smiled when she sat on her other side and took her hand.

"That's normal" Rachel said quietly as she stood at the end of the bed, a small smile tugging at her lips "You had low blood glucose...Caused by Diabetes and not eating enough"

"Oh" Ruby looked away guiltily.

"I injected you with a hormone called glucagon which will increase the amount of glucose you have in your body" Rachel informed them "But it's completely normal to still feel weak and sick"

"Great" Ruby muttered dryly "As if I wasn't feeling bad enough already"

"Since there's no actual cure for diabetes" Rachel continued "All I can tell you to do is eat regularly to make sure your blood sugar levels don't get too low and prescribe you some insulin which should help to regulate your levels...Will you be okay for a minute while I go and get that prescription? Then you can leave right away Rubz"

Ruby nodded and smiled gratefully "Thanks Rachel"

Rachel nodded and walked out of the room.

"You scared me half to death" Charlie said quietly as she pressed a soft kiss to Ruby's head "Don't do that again, okay?"

"Sorry" Ruby apologised guiltily as she looked down at their joined hands. She frowned when she noticed Blood on Charlie's "Hey what happened to your hand?"

"Oh...That. I um...I punched Grant" Charlie answered hesitantly "He was here and I thought he had hurt you so...I hit him. I know it was a pretty stupid thing to do but I was just really pissed off at him"

"Oh" Ruby nodded and glanced at Joey "Are you okay Jo? You seem kind of quiet"

"I'm fine" Joey answered reassuringly "I was just thinking...That's all"

"About...?" the teenager prodded.

"Nothing important" Joey laughed at Ruby's questioning "I'm just glad that you're okay. That's all"

"Me too" Ruby said barely suppressing a yawn as she leaned back into Charlie's embrace "I really hate hospitals"

"Same here" Charlie agreed quietly as she looked around the small hospital room which reminded her remarkably of one she had been standing in with Ruby only a couple of months ago. She shivered fearfully when her mind flitted to the possibility of losing her daughter.

"Are you okay?" Joey whispered to Charlie noticing that Ruby seemed close to falling asleep.

"I'm fine" Charlie responded in a voice that was just as quiet "Just...Remembering"

"It..." Joey was about to reply when Rachel walked into the room with a small bag in her hands.

"You're all free to go" The doctor said in a soft voice as she too noticed Ruby's semi-conscious state "Make sure that she gets plenty of bed rest okay?"

"Got it" Joey smiled in response as she took the bag from Rachel and watched as the older woman walked out of the room again.

"Ruby?" Charlie gently shook her daughter awake "Ruby wake up Honey"

"What?" Ruby blinked at her fuzzily "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah" Charlie said in a whisper as she stood up helping Ruby off the bed. She wrapped an arm around her daughter's waist when she wobbled slightly "And you're going directly to bed"

"Hmmn...Okay" Ruby nodded as she leaned her head against her mother's shoulder.

"Come on than" Joey smiled warmly as she reached Ruby's side and placed a supporting hand on her back "We should get out there before Summer has a heart attack from worrying about you"

Ruby nodded In response before they walked out of the room.

TBC


	57. Chapter 57

**Here's the next chapter guys! Sorry about the late update...But thanks again for all of your comments! I love to know what you think of the chapters :) **

Chapter 57

"Stop worrying"

"What?" Charlie was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of her daughter's voice. She gazed in confusion at Ruby who was sitting across the table from her "What do you mean? I didn't even say anything this time"

"You were giving me that look" Ruby explained as she leaned her head on her hand "The one that means you're thinking...and worrying. Probably about me"

"I have a right to worry" Charlie smiled at her daughter "It's what mothers do, right?"

"I guess you're right" Ruby nodded slowly.

"Anyway..." Charlie continued "Rachel said that we need to keep an eye on you for a while until we're sure that the treatment's actually working"

"Well it seems to be" Ruby shrugged "I feel way better now"

"Breakfast..." Joey exclaimed as she stepped over to the table and set plates in front of Charlie and Ruby "Is served!"

"Thanks Babe" Charlie grinned up at her wife "You're the best"

"I know!" Joey exclaimed dramatically as she leaned down and kissed Charlie gently "Or so you keep saying"

"Yeah..." Ruby contributed enthusiastically "It's great but ...Do you seriously think I'm going to be eat _all_ of this?"

"You have to keep your strength up" Joey smiled as she reached out and playfully ruffled Ruby's hair "And your sugar levels"

"Right" Ruby shook her head in amusement at Joey's obvious concern "You two worry entirely too much"

"We worry appropriately" Joey corrected as she grabbed her own plate and sat back down between them.

"It's kind of our jobs" Charlie added smiling proudly at Joey's clear bond with Ruby "Even if you do find it kind of annoying"

"It's fine" Ruby shrugged and smiled weakly "I'm lucky to have you both"

"Is something wrong Rubz?" Joey asked as Ruby dropped her gaze to the plate in front of her "You seem kind of...Off today"

"I don't know" Ruby answered softly "I'm just thinking about things. It's not important...at least not in comparison to everything else that's going on right now"

Charlie and Joey shared a concerned look at the teenager's statement.

"If it's upsetting you it is important" Charlie said slowly "You know that you can tell us anything"

"I'm fine" Ruby sighed "There's just a lot going on right now. It's a lot to take in"

When it became clear that Ruby wasn't going to say anything else about the matter Joey tilted her head inconspicuously to the side indicating to Charlie that she wanted to talk to her in private.

"We'll be back in a minute Ruby" Charlie said before she stood up and followed Joey out of the room.

"Great" Ruby muttered under her breath as they left "They're talking about me"

"Maybe you should talk to her" Joey whispered as they came to a stop just outside of the kitchen door "Go for a walk or something...Try to get her to tell you what's wrong"

"Are you sure?" Charlie questioned unsurely as she looked back into the kitchen "I don't want to leave you with all of the mess or anything"

"Its fine" Joey assured her quickly "The most important thing is making sure Ruby's okay"

"Thanks Jo" Charlie pulled Joey into her arms and kissed her quickly "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

"A few times I think" Joey smiled before she pressed her lips firmly against Charlie's "Now go...I'll be here when you get back"

"I'm going" Charlie laughed before she began to walk back to the kitchen.

"Charlie?" Joey called out stopping her wife in her tracks.

"Yeah?" Charlie asked as she looked over her shoulder.

"I love you too" Joey grinned mischievously "And I'll show you just how much when you get back"

"You're a tease Joey Collins" Charlie stated before she continued walking.

---

"So what's wrong?" Charlie nudged her daughter gently as they walked along the beach together "Did something happen at school? With Summer? Xavier?"

"We broke up" Ruby said dully.

"You and Xavier?" Charlie asked sympathetically.

"No me and Summer" Ruby rolled her eyes at Charlie's question "Yes...Xavier and I broke up"

"Well you and Summer have been kind of close lately..." at Ruby's sigh Charlie wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulders "I'm sorry Rubz...Why did you break up with him?"

"I didn't" Ruby responded "He broke up with me...sort of"

"What? Why?!" Charlie asked in surprise "What happened?!"

"He was complaining that I wasn't spending enough time with him" Ruby explained as she kicked irritably at the sand under her feet "And then he was blaming Summer for it so I told him to back off! I'm not just going to desert my friend when she's going something really big just because my boyfriend happens to be feeling neglected"

"So then what did he say?" Charlie asked curiously.

"I caught him cheating with some girl from school" Ruby said miserably "It seems I'm not that hard to replaced after all. And then _he_ told _me_ it wasn't working anymore"

"Oh Rubz..." Charlie stopped and pulled her daughter into her arms "I'm sorry honey..." she exhaled heavily when Ruby returned the embrace tightly "I'm going to kill him"

"It doesn't matter" Ruby said quietly as she pulled away and smiled weakly at Charlie "I'm dealing with it but..."

"But?" Charlie pressed in concern.

"Summer's avoiding me" Ruby responded sadly "She has been ever since I got out of the hospital and...I don't know why. Not even Cameron understands it"

"People react in strange ways when they're faced with the possibility of somebody they care about dying" Charlie suggested insightfully "Maybe Summer's freaked out. She was terrified for you at the hospital that day Rubz"

"Maybe" Ruby muttered "I just wish she would talk to me"

"She will" Charlie reassured her gently "Just give her time Rubz...she'll come around"

"You're probably right" Ruby said before she hugged Charlie tightly "Thanks Charlie"

"Well isn't that sweet?" a mocking voice from their left caused them to pull away from the embrace and glance to the side to see Grant walking towards them. Charlie instinctively pushed Ruby protectively behind her.

"What do you want?" she asked sharply, her gaze focused on Grant "You're supposed to be staying the hell away from us remember?"

"Or what?" Grant grinned "You'll punch me again?"

"I won't stop myself" Charlie glared darkly at him.

"I just want to talk to my daughter" Grant smirked fully aware of the fact that referring to Ruby as his daughter would annoy Charlie "That's not a crime"

"I'm not your daughter" Ruby stated strongly as she looked out from behind Charlie "And I don't want to talk to you. I don't want anything to do with you"

"That's not a very nice way to speak to your father" Grant stated breezily.

"Just leave her alone!" Charlie said angrily.

"Look Ruby..." Grant looked at his daughter trying to look as sincere as he possibly could"I don't know what lies Charlie's been telling you about me but...They aren't true. I haven't done anything wrong. She's just pissed because she doesn't want to admit that she was sleeping around"

"What?!" Charlie exclaimed appearing completely stunned at Grant's statement "What are you talking about? I was not sleeping around..."

"What we did was consensual" Grant smirked "You know that you wanted it. You just don't want to admit it"

"I think you should shut up and go away" Ruby said furiously as she noticed Charlie's expression darken dramatically "Now!"

"I'm only saying" Grant shrugged casually "Come on. Think about it Ruby...If what she says happened really happened how could she look at you the way she does? Wouldn't she feel the slightest bit of resentment for you? Wouldn't she look at you and see what happened?!"

Ruby swallowed heavily at the statement "Shut up"

Grant grinned happy to have struck a nerve with the teenager "She's making me out to be the bad guy when it's really her who's the slu..."

"I said SHUT IT!" Ruby yelled furiously before she lunged forward. Charlie attempted to grab her but even she was too slow to react to her daughter's angry movement. She watched in stunned horror as Ruby jumped at the man sending them both sprawling to the floor.

"RUBY!" she shouted as Ruby proceeded to punch Grant with all her strength. She rushed forward and wrapped an arm around Ruby's waist pulling her off Grant "Stop it!"

"You're sick!" Ruby exclaimed furiously her eyes blazing with pent up anger "And if you _ever _talk about my Mum like that again I swear to God I'll kill you!"

"Damn" Grant smirked as he wiped a small streak of blood from his cheek from Ruby's surprisingly hard hit "Hit by two Buckton's in less than a week...I'm on a roll"

"I think you should leave us alone" Charlie said as she watched him stand up.

"For now" Grant said threateningly "I'll be back later" with that said he turned and walked away with one last smirk at Ruby.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked in concern as Ruby sat down on the sand. She sat down next to her and took her daughter's hand which had already started to bruise because of the hit "That looks like it hurts"

"He's right" Ruby said suddenly as Charlie continued to look her hand over "How can I come from something like him? How can you even look at me when you know that's where I come from? That I'm the product of what happened to you?"

"I've never thought about that" Charlie said honestly as she looked up into Ruby's tear filled eyes "I don't see him when I look at you. You're nothing like him Rubz. I don't know how many times I have to tell you...You're my daughter and I love you no matter how you were conceived. That will never change. I promise"

Ruby nodded silently and flung herself into Charlie's open arms "Charlie?"

"Yeah?" Charlie asked quietly her own eyes shining with unshed tears as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's head.

"I love you too" Ruby sniffled quietly.

---

"This is getting ridiculous!" Charlie ranted as she paced back and forth in front of Joey "It's like we can't escape him. He's just everywhere...And he thinks that he can just say whatever he wants to Ruby. That he can make her think that I should hate her because of how she was conceived. I don't know who the hell he thinks he is. I should get a damn restraining order against him..."

"Charlie Honey..." Joey stood up and pulled Charlie close, planting a soft kiss on her lips "Calm down for a minute. You need to breathe"

"I can't!" Charlie stated though she had visibly relaxed into Joey's embrace "He just really pisses me off!"

"I know" Joey said quietly "I get that. I..." they were cut off by a knock at the door.

"That better not be him..." Charlie groaned as she pulled away from Joey though she knew by the sound of the knock that it wasn't Summer or Cameron. She walked over to the door and pulled it open not at all surprised to see Grant standing there "What do you want now? I told you to go away"

"I thought I should warn you" Grant grinned at her "That I'm considering pressing charges"

"Against who?" Charlie asked disbelievingly "Ruby? She's sixteen years old for God-sake!" she felt herself relax slightly when Joey joined her at the door and placed a soothing hand on her back.

"Against you" Grant corrected "You did assault me after all"

"You're a rapist" Charlie pointed out incredulously "And I'm a cop...Who's going to take your side?"

"We'll have to see" Grant smirked "I'll consider not pressing charges if you co-operate though"

"Co-operate?" Joey frowned "What does that mean?!"

"Let me see Ruby" Grant said his gaze still on Charlie.

"What?!" Charlie looked horrified at the request "Absolutely not. Ruby doesn't want to see you and I wouldn't let you anyway. I wouldn't let a sick pervert like you anywhere near my daughter!"

Grant's smirk rapidly faded "Well don't say I didn't give you a choice. I'm going to see her anyway you know...She can't escape me for long"

"You need to stop threatening them and get the hell away from us" Joey advised as she glared darkly at him "You have no right to see Ruby after what you did so I suggest you leave before you're hit for a third time. If I find out that you've touched her..."

"Whatever" Grant laughed at Joey's hanging threat "What are you going to do? There's nothing any of you can do...Whereas I can do whatever I want"

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"You'll see soon" Grant smirked "I'm done negotiating...You won't know what's hit you."

"Just go away!" Joey stated angrily "Or I'm going to throw you out"

"I'm going" Grant rolled his eyes and walked away for the second time that day.

"Thanks Joey" Charlie sighed as she leaned back against the doorway "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't gotten rid of him"

"its fine" Joey nodded still seeming angry at Grant's earlier threats "I'm not just going to let that bastard threaten our daughter like that. He has absolutely no right. I hate that he thinks he can ju...What?" Joey stopped talking at Charlie's surprised look.

"You said our" Charlie said quietly, a small smile forming on her lips "You said 'Our daughter'"

"Oh" Joey's eyes widened in alarm "I'm sorry...I just crossed some kind of line didn't I? I didn't mean to say that. I mean I'm not going to start throwing adoption papers at you or anything...It was just spur of the..." she was cut off as Charlie pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Though she was slightly surprised she returned the kiss right away and threaded her fingers through Charlie's dark hair pulling her even closer. She moaned softly as Charlie deepened the kiss even further sliding her tongue past the younger girl's lips.

"Wh...What was that for?" she asked breathlessly when they finally pulled apart.

"I love that you care about her so much" Charlie said her eyes glittering with tears "That you think of her like that"

"I do..." Joey nodded sincerely "You know you and Ruby mean the world to me"

"God I love you" Charlie breathed quietly before she pulled Joey back into a passionate kiss. She inhaled sharply as Joey's hand moved to her breast "Joey..."

"Hmmn?"

"I need you to make love to me right now" Charlie gasped.

"I would like nothing more" Joey grinned as she began to kiss her way down Charlie's neck and attempted to lead them upstairs at the same time.

TBC


	58. Chapter 58

**Thanks for the reviews guys! A bit of a slow, short chapter here but it'll pick up soon. I promise. Hope you enjoy anyway :) **

Chapter 58 

"This is messed up!" Ruby announced suddenly as she looked over at Summer "This is really messed up. The most messed up my life has _ever been_ I think...And believe me my life has been pretty messed up sometimes"

"Um...Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" Summer frowned in confusion as she sipped thoughtfully at her milkshake.

"I don't know" Ruby exhaled deeply "I'm just so confused. This is really..."

"Messed up?" Summer offered with a small knowing smile "You said that a few times"

"Yeah...Completely messed up" Ruby nodded in response "I don't know what to do about any of this...Charlie, My...My..."

"Your Dad?" Summer suggested quietly as she averted her eyes away from Ruby's.

"He's not my Dad" Ruby exclaimed instantly "He's nothing to do with me"

"Sorry" Summer apologised guiltily at Ruby's sharp tone "I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I was just saying. Sometimes I open my mouth without thinking and words just kind of come out. You should ignore me"

"its okay" Ruby offered the other girl a small smile of reassurance "I just hate that I have a connection to the person who..." Ruby trailed off and Summer nodded in complete understanding "Charlie says that she doesn't see him when she looks at me...That she doesn't see what happened to her..."

"Um...I'm sure that's true" Summer said in surprise at the twist in their conversation "Anyone can see that Charlie loves you to bits"

"I know..." Ruby nodded slowly "I just don't understand how she can't think about what happened when she looks at me..." she leaned forward slightly and dropped her voice "I mean I'm the product of her _rape_ Summer!"

"Yeah..." Summer winced slightly "I know that Rubz. But it still doesn't change anything about how she feels about you"

"She says that she loves me no matter how I was conceived" Ruby said lowly. She grabbed her straw and began swirling it idly around in her milkshake "But when I look at him it makes me feel differently about myself. Like I'm disgusted with what he's doing but I'm also disgusted with myself for coming from somebody like him...Somebody who hurt Charlie more than I can ever imagine. It makes me feel like I'm part of the reason she hurt so much...I kind of am with the pregnancy and all..."

"Hey" Summer reached out and placed her hand atop Ruby's as the younger girl choked on approaching tears "Stop it Ruby. Stop thinking like that. Where you come from doesn't make _you_ a bad person. It changes nothing about the way Charlie thinks of you so you shouldn't think any worse of yourself. You know that Charlie thinks the world of you. She would do anything for you"

"I know..." Ruby said sadly "I just don't feel like I deserve it anymore"

"Have you talked to Charlie about this?" Summer asked in concern "Because I know what she would say if you did..."

"I have...sort of" Ruby answered in a soft voice "I didn't tell he _all_ of that though. I don't want to upset her anymore. You...You won't tell her will you Sum?"

"Ruby..." Summer sighed at the other girls request "You can't ask me to do that. This is important...Really important"

"It's not!" Ruby stated forcefully "At least not to Charlie...its all clear in her head. She doesn't need to know about this...It's only going to upset her. She doesn't need that right now"

"You should tell her" Summer advised gently "You can't go on feeling like this Rubz" she sighed when Ruby merely shrugged in response.

"Found somebody else already?" a voice sounded from next to the two girls causing them both to look up. Ruby winced slightly when she noticed Xavier standing there.

"What do you want Xavier?" she asked tiredly "And...what are you talking about? You're the one who dumped me remember?"

Xavier motioned towards the table. Summer and Ruby glanced down almost surprised to see their hands still joined. Summer pulled her hand away quickly as they both blushed profusely.

"So...?" Xavier asked pointedly "Are you going to answer me or not? It obviously didn't take you very long to move on from me..."

"Seriously?" Ruby questioned in shock "You cheated on me with somebody else and I'm moving on too quickly?!"

"So you admit it" Xavier stated "You're dating...A girl. Going the same way as your mother?"

"I think you should back off a bit Xavier" Summer said in a soft voice as she leaned forward slightly "Ruby really doesn't need this from you right now"

"Shut up" Xavier snapped at her "I'm not talking to you. Why don't you go and drink some tea or something?!"

"Oh My God..." Summer rolled her eyes at the stupid stereotype, unable to help the smirk that tugged at her lips.

"Ruby..." Xavier turned back to Ruby and looked at her pleadingly "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do any of that stuff. I was just upset that you wouldn't spend any time with me...Can we try again?"

"Xavier..." Ruby groaned as she leaned her head on her hand "Will you just leave me alone...Please? I can't even think about that right now..."

"But Ruby...."

"She said leave her alone" Summer said defensively "So just leave her alone"

"Fine whatever" Xavier huffed "If you ever decide to talk to me I'll b around Ruby" with that said and one last glare in Summer's direction he turned and walked from the diner.

"Thanks Sum" Ruby said gratefully "I just can't deal with him right now"

"I understand that" Summer said quietly "Ruby?"

"Yeah?" Ruby responded as she looked up in concern "What is it?"

"Is my accent really that obvious?" Summer asked in alarm.

"What? No" Ruby laughed at her friend's obvious worry "No it's not...Xavier was just annoyed at you and he's not exactly the wittiest person so...He said the first thing that came to his head that would annoy you"

"Oh" Summer smiled in relief "Good...That's good"

---

"I'll get it!" Charlie called as she walked out of the living room, wearing a contented grin. She pulled open the door and her grin dropped to be replaced by a look of complete confusion at the woman standing in front of her "Um...Hi"

"Hello" the woman greeted with a polite smile "My name is Terri and I'm here to speak to...Charlie Buckton? And Joey Collins?"

"Um...Yeah" Charlie nodded though her expression remained confused "What's this about?"

"Maybe we should do this inside?" the woman suggested as she looked around awkwardly.

"Okay" Charlie stepped back unsurely and allowed the woman inside, closing the door after her. Joey chose that exact moment to appear from behind her.

"As I said" the woman said quietly "My name is Terri. I'm from Social services and I need to talk to you both"

"Social services?" Joey questioned in obvious alarm "Why do you need to talk to us?"

"An allegation has been made against you in regards to your daughter" Terri stated as she crossed her arms in front of her "an allegation of abuse"

"Abuse?" Charlie's eyes widened in shock at the statement "Somebody said I hit my daughter?!"

"Yes" the woman nodded in response "As I said serious allegations have been made against you. It has been suggested that in light of your recent violent outbreaks you've turned on..."

"Violent outbreaks?" Joey interrupted in disbelief "What violent outbreaks? Charlie isn't violent"

"You assaulted a Mr. Grant Bredcloe" Terri said "Ruby's biological father? He's accused you of abusing your daughter as you've probably worked out by now..."

"I would never do anything to hurt my daughter!" Charlie exclaimed angrily "He's making it up...I'm a cop for God sake!"

"I understand your frustration" The social worker said quietly "But I have to follow up on any allegation which means _I have _to talk to your daughter"

"She's not here right now" Charlie said stiffly "She's out with a friend"

"That's fine" Terri responded as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a business card which she handed to Charlie "But we'll need to schedule a meeting soon. If you could give me a call..."

Charlie nodded slowly still seemingly in shock "okay..."

"For what it's worth..." Terri said in a soft voice "I think it's obvious that he has his own agenda in this..."

Charlie watched numbly as the woman let herself out before she turned to look at Joey, visibly shaking with fury "He's doing it Jo...He's trying to take her away from me. I knew this would happen...I knew it!"

"I know..." as soon as Joey spotted tears in Charlie's eyes she stepped forward and hugged her tightly "He's not going to though. It's not going to work...Ruby's not going anywhere"

Charlie nodded through her tears as she clung tightly to her lover "I can't lose her Joey. Not now..."

"I know" Joey soothed lightly as she pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head and silently cursed Grant "You won't lose her. I promise..."

TBC


	59. Chapter 59

**Sorry for the late update guys! I got sidetracked with school etc but I'm back now. Thanks again for all of your reviews. They're still really appreciated :) **

**lil20: You're definitely right about the pubs thing lol. As for Ruby and Summer...I don't know. I was kind of dropping subtle hints to see what people thought of it but apparently they were **_**too**_** subtle because only you and one other person picked up on it. I'll have to see where that goes I guess :D **

Chapter 59

"I really don't want to do this" Ruby whispered as she glanced anxiously between Joey and Charlie and the social worker waiting rather impatiently in the next room.

"We know" Joey sighed as Charlie looked away "We don't like it either Rubz. But apparently this is just something you have to do"

Ruby nodded shortly still furious that the allegation had been made "I hate this. I hate HIM...I can't believe he would say that you're 'Abusing me'!"

"Yeah...You should probably go in there" Charlie said though she didn't meet Ruby's gaze, instead focusing her own guilt filled eyes on the ground "Or she'll probably think I'm threatening you into staying quiet or something"

"Oh" Ruby's expression dropped thinking that Charlie was angry with her "You...You're not going to come in with me?"

"We probably won't be allowed" Joey said as she shot Charlie a confused look "Or they'll think you're being intimidated...Sorry Rubz"

"Will you try?" Ruby pleaded desperately her nervousness obvious in her eyes "I don't want to go in there by myself"

"Okay" Joey nodded at the teenager and reached out to squeeze her hand lightly "We'll try...Right Charlie?"

"Right" Charlie agreed quickly having become increasingly concerned at the prospect of leaving her daughter alone. They glanced nervously at each other before they walked silently into the living room.

"Sorry about the wait" Charlie attempted to be polite despite her gnawing frustration at the situation, fully aware that it wasn't the social workers fault.

"That's fine" Terri smiled lightly at them before she focused on Ruby who was shuffling her feet nervously "Shall we get on with this than?" she glanced pointedly at Charlie and Joey who were still hovering at the teenagers side.

"Can they stay?" Ruby questioned beseechingly "I need them here"

"That's not really allowed" Terri said regretfully "It's against the rules"

"She's under age" Charlie pointed out "Doesn't that mean she needs to have someone with her?"

"Of course it does" Terri stated "But with all due respect Mrs Buckton...You're the person under investigation here. It would be against protocol to allow you to stay in the room since you could potentially intimidate her into answering falsely"

"I need them here" Ruby repeated slightly louder than before "You're not going to get any answers if they have to leave"

Terri sighed and looked between the small family thoughtfully "Fine...They can stay. But this is really against standard practice"

Ruby nodded as she sat down on the couch. After a moment Charlie sat next to her and Joey sat at the other side of Charlie.

"Ready?" Terri asked kindly, knowing the young girl would be nervous.

Ruby took a deep breath and glanced at Charlie pleadingly. As if reading her daughter's mind Charlie tentatively inched her hand forward.

"Ready" Ruby confirmed as she took Charlie's hand and squeezed it tightly before looking back at Terri who watched the exchange with a small smile.

"I have to warn you that the questions I'm going to ask will be tough" Terri explained, her gaze focused on the teenager "They may be hard to answer but I need you to answer honestly, Okay Ruby?"

"Okay" Ruby nodded seemingly more confident as she clung to Charlie's hand "I will"

"Good" Terri offered a small smile before she glanced at Charlie and Joey "I have to ask that you don't interrupt"

Joey and Charlie nodded grudgingly, clearly not happy with the situation.

Knowing there was no way to ease gently into her questioning Terri jumped right in at the deep end "Has your mother ever inflicted _any_ kind of injury on you?"

"No" Ruby answered instantly "She hasn't...She wouldn't"

"According to my files..." Terri glanced briefly at the folder in her hands before looking back at Ruby "You went away a while ago and came back with significant injuries"

"I fell into a river" Ruby frowned "It was my own fault. Charlie had nothing to do with it...In fact she jumped in after me and she was hurt way more than I was"

Terri nodded slowly "And you were admitted to the hospital recently?"

"For diabetes!" Ruby exclaimed "I fainted"

"Yes" Terri said quietly "Suffering from hypoglycaemia otherwise known as low blood sugar? Because you weren't eating"

"That's my own fault" Ruby said as she realised what the social worker was implying "You can't honestly think that Charlie would want to hurt me!"

"I have to go off the evidence and your mother's track record" Terri explained regretfully.

"What track record?" Charlie asked fearfully.

Terri glanced at her to see she had paled dramatically "You assaulted Grant Bredcloe at the hospital, there was a case of assault filed against you by a Mr Brett Collins and there was a drug charge against you"

"The drugs charges were dropped!" Joey exclaimed as Charlie sat stunned "They were planted by somebody. Don't your files tell you that?"

"They do" Terri nodded "But all of these allegations of drug usage and assault build up to count against you I'm afraid"

"This is ridiculous!" Ruby stated in frustration "Charlie would never do anything to hurt me. It's Grant...its _all_ Grant. He's the one who should be being questioned. Not Charlie!"

"The case will have to be followed up" Terri informed them professionally "But you'll hear back from me soon when I've reviewed the evidence and determined the best course of action"

Ruby felt a squeeze to her hand and glanced at Charlie who was visibly shaking with anger.

"This is stupid" Charlie stated furiously "The best course of action is to leave her here where she belongs. If we lose this...Are you seriously telling me you're going to grant custody of my daughter to a _perverted rapist_?!"

"That's not what I'm saying" Terri answered as she stood up "That's what I'm trying to stop happening but if the evidence forces me there's nothing I can do"

When Charlie said nothing Joey coughed awkwardly and stood up from the couch "I'll show you out" she walked out of the room with Terri in tow.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked Charlie who seemed to have somewhat of a death grip on her hand.

"No" Charlie shook her head sadly her gaze focused on her lap "this is all such a mess. As f it wasn't already bad enough that he's here reminding me about what happened that night and after, he's trying to do _this_..." she looked up and instantly felt guilty at Ruby's guilty disheartened expression "I'm sorry Ruby...I didn't mean..."

"It doesn't matter" Ruby shrugged though pain was obvious in her eyes "You have a right to be mad. If I was you I wouldn't want to be reminded of him or anything even remotely connected to him either"

"That's not what I meant!" Charlie exclaimed in shock "You know I didn't mean it like that Rubz..."

Ruby merely shrugged in response and pulled her hand from Charlie's grip "its fine"

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed in an attempted bright voice as she entered the living room with Cameron and Summer hot on her heels "Look who I found on the doorstep!" when she was greeted with only silence she frowned in confusion "Ooookay"

"We're going upstairs" Ruby announced as she walked over to Summer and pulled her urgently out of the room and towards the stairs.

"What was that about?" Cameron asked quizzically as she glanced between Charlie and the door "She seemed to be in one hell of a hurry"

"That was me messing things up again" Charlie sighed as Joey sat next to her and took her hand comfortingly "Ruby thinks I'm mad at her because she's connected to Grant"

"Oh" Cameron said as she sat down on the couch opposite them "That's not good"

"At least she has Summer" Joey pointed out gently "Even if she feels she can't talk to us about it at least she can talk about it with somebody"

Charlie nodded in agreement though she kept her worried gaze trained on the stairs.

---

"Whoa!" Summer gasped as Ruby yanked her into the bedroom and shut the door behind them "Careful Rubz...I might need my arm when you're done with it" her smile faded slightly as she watched Ruby fling herself onto the bed and bury her face in the pillow "Hey, what's wrong Rubz?" she sat down on the bed and placed a tentative hand on the younger girl's shaking back "Ruby?"

"She hates me!" Ruby exclaimed tearfully as she turned her head slightly and looked at Summer "It's like I'm a reminder of what happened to her...She practically admitted it!"

"I'm sorry to say Rubz" Summer said calmly "But you're an idiot if you think Charlie could _ever _dislike you never mind _hate_ you!"

"But she said..."

"I'm sure she didn't mean it like that" Summer interrupted as she watched Ruby sit up slightly on the bed "There's a lot going on right now Rubz. She probably wasn't even thinking when she said whatever it is that she said"

"But it's true" Ruby pointed out quietly.

"No it's not!" Summer exclaimed firmly as she took Ruby's hand in her own "You're the only one of us who thinks less of you because of where you come from. Nobody else sees that. Especially not Charlie. She sees her daughter who she loves like crazy and would do absolutely _anything_ to protect. What she doesn't see is _him_ because you're nothing like him"

"But he's my father" Ruby argued tearfully "How can I not be like him? How can Charlie not be constantly reminded every times she looks at me?"

"You aren't" Summer sighed as she climbed fully onto the bed and pulled Ruby into her arms "And she doesn't see that. Just talk to her Rubz. Only she can tell you what you need to know"

"What if she gives me an answer I don't want?" Ruby sobbed quietly into her friend's shoulder "I don't want her to resent me for what happened"

"She won't" Summer promised quietly as she tightened her embrace.

---

"Charlie?" Joey whispered sleepily as she entered the kitchen to see Charlie sitting at the table writing "What are you doing?" she sat next to the older girl and noticed she was drawing up some kind of table.

"I'm comparing my convictions to Grant's" Charlie responded softly "To give me a rough idea of how this is going to play out...Y'know. Whether or not they'll try to take Ruby away from me"

"It's 3am" Joey stated quietly as she watched Charlie continue to write "You need to sleep Charlie"

"I can't" Charlie answered quietly "I have to do everything I can to make sure I keep her away from him"

"I know" Joey whispered as she wrapped an arm lightly around Charlie's shoulders. She breathed a sigh of relief when her wife finally stopped writing "But you need to get some sleep or you're going to wear yourself out and make yourself sick"

"I can't let him take her" Charlie spoke emotionally as she leaned back slightly into Joey's arms allowing her eyes to fall tiredly shut for a moment "There's no way of knowing what he'll do to her. I can't let anything happen to her" she visibly shuddered at the thought.

"She's not going anywhere" Joey soothed for the umpteenth time in the last couple of days "They can't let him take her because of his convictions...He's a known sexual predator. They couldn't possibly allow him to look after a teenager"

Charlie nodded slowly and glanced at the ceiling "She still hasn't talked to me yet"

"I know" Joey responded lightly "But to be fair Ruby and Summer haven't come out of that room since early tonight and it's now 3am so..."

"I guess you're right" Charlie smiled softly and glanced at Joey "You always make me feel better"

"It's my specialty" Joey whispered before Charlie kissed her lightly "You should talk to her you know"

"I know" Charlie nodded "And I will. I hate that she thinks I blame her in all of this because that couldn't be further from the truth..." Joey nodded and they fell into contemplative silence for a moment.

"Are you coming to bed now?" Joey yawned as she stood up and held out her hand "Because I don't know about you but I'm really tired"

"Yeah" Charlie smiled lightly as she took Joey's outstretched hand and allowed herself to be pulled from the room.

TBC


	60. Chapter 60

**Hey guys sorry for the late update (Again) but my laptop decided to crash and I had to reboot. I hate computers when they don't work lol. Thanks again for all of your reviews. They really mean a lot. As for the Ruby and Summer thing...I've decided to let you guys choose since you're my readers and your opinions matter to me. So let's take a vote (Majority rules)...Yes or not to um...Rummer? Suby? Hmm...I'll have to think about that one. Hope y'all enjoy the chapter (Sorry for the lack of Joey in this one). **

**TheIrishGilmore: Thanks for the review! And don't worry...I didn't take offence. I love criticism. It helps me develop as a writer. I tried to take your advice in this chapter with regards to the Charlie/Ruby/Joey thing so I hope it's a little bit better.**

Chapter 60

"It's going to be okay" Ruby whispered to herself as she wiped her clammy hand on her jeans and tried to ignore the nervous fluttering in her stomach "It's going to be fine" she took a deep breath in an attempt to soothe her nerves before she walked tentatively into the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway as she watched Charlie typing at her laptop, a cup of long cold coffee next to her "Um...Charlie?"

"Two seconds Rubz" after a brief moment of almost silence, the only sounded being the click of keys Charlie looked up and offered Ruby a warm smile "Hey"

"Hey" Ruby responded softly "Do you think we can talk for a minute? It's okay if you haven't got time I'll just wait until later or...Whatever"

"It's fine" Charlie said reassuringly as she stood up and stretched slightly "I've always got time for you. I need to take a break from this anyway"

"How long have you been working?" Ruby asked in concern as she followed Charlie into the living room.

"A few hours" Charlie shrugged as she sat down and motioned for Ruby to do the same "I'm fine...Honestly"

Ruby nodded and an awkward silence settled between them as she tried to think of what to say.

"So..." Charlie started after a couple of minutes when she couldn't take the suffocating silence any longer "What did you want to talk about?"

"It's complicated" Ruby said as she fidgeted nervously with her hands "I don't really know where to start or how to explain it so that you understand"

"The beginning's usually a good place to start" Charlie smiled softly as she took Ruby's hand in her own squeezing it comfortingly "As for making me understand...I can't promise anything but I'll definitely try"

"Okay" Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly before looking back at Charlie "I just...I need to tell you how I feel without you interrupting me...Can you do that?"

"Okay" Charlie nodded unsurely "I promise I won't interrupt until you're done"

"Right" Ruby said softly as she dropped her eyes to her lap "So...I just don't understand how you don't resent me or anything for what happened with Grant...I don't even know how you can look at me knowing where I come from..."

Charlie bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from interrupting even as she felt the need to disagree with her daughter.

"And I know what you're going to say..." Ruby sighed as she looked up at Charlie again "You're going to tell me what you and Summer have been telling me for weeks now...That it's not my fault and that how I was conceived doesn't change how you feel about me"

"It's true" Charlie pointed out quietly.

"Can you honestly tell me that you don't see him...You don't see what happened when you look at me?" Ruby asked sadly "Because a couple of days ago when the social worker was here you practically admitted it!"

"That's not what I meant" Charlie answered quickly "I wasn't talking about you Rubz...I was talking about _him!_"

"You seemed angry with me before that" Ruby countered "Not that I blame you at all. I wouldn't want to be reminded of something like that either. I just keep thinking..."

"What?" Charlie prompted softly as Ruby trailed off "What is it Rubz?"

"Is this the real reason you left me?" Ruby asked, her eyes growing slightly teary as she spoke "Because looking at me and seeing what happened was too much?" when Charlie merely gazed at her in shock she continued haltingly "I guess he's right...You have to resent me in some way after what happened. I mean I'm the result of your..."

"Stop it" Charlie said in a sudden loud voice her own blue eyes bright with unshed tears "Just stop it okay Ruby?" she exhaled deeply in an effort to calm herself down before she looked into Ruby's eyes "You have to listen to me Ruby...What happened to me was in no way your fault so I can't possibly be angry with you for that. I don't see him when I look at you...I see my daughter who I love more than anything and couldn't _possibly_ live without. I can't picture my life without you in it...So no Ruby I don't resent you at all"

"But he said..."

"Don't listen to him" Charlie stated quietly "He's just trying to get to you"

"Okay" Ruby sniffled quietly before Charlie pulled her into a tight hug.

"Don't forget what I said" Charlie whispered as she held her daughter close "I love you no matter what, okay?"

"I know" Ruby nodded against Charlie's shoulder "I love you too...I just hate that I'm so connected to him"

"Just because you're connected to him it doesn't mean you're anything at all like him" Charlie informed her comfortingly as they pulled away "You're nothing like him"

"I'm sorry I doubted you" Ruby apologised guiltily "I was just..."

"You don't have to apologise" Charlie interrupted her with a small smile "I know...And it's okay. You..." she was cut off as the phone began to ring. She shot Ruby an apologetic look before she leaned across and grabbed the phone "Hello? Oh...Yeah..." she paused for a moment listening to the voice on the other end of the line before her eyes widened slightly in surprise "Really? That's great! Yeah...Thank you so much" after a few words of exchanged goodbyes Charlie hung up smiling widely.

"What?" Ruby asked curiously "Who was it? What are you grinning about?"

"We won!" Charlie exclaimed ecstatically "The social worker says that Grant lost his case against us because he's not credible or something"

"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed before she launched herself back into Charlie's arms almost knocking her off the couch in the process "That's beyond great!"

---

"Summer..." Cameron groaned as she followed her sister towards the kitchen "Would you just talk to me? Please?"

"There's nothing to talk about" Summer sighed sadly as she turned and looked at the older girl sadly "It doesn't matter...you have enough going on right now without me adding to your problems"

"You know you can tell me anything" Cameron said softly "That's how it's always been..."

"Not anymore..." Summer muttered.

"why?" Cameron asked in a hurt voice "I don't understand what changed with us...Ever since I was..." she trailed off and winced as she thought back to that night.

"Yeah" Summer sighed as she looked down at the floor "it doesn't matter Cam"

"I don't understand why you're do mad at me" Cameron stated in confusion "I don't know what I did to upset you but If you talk to me..."

"You don't know?!" Summer laughed bitterly even as tears formed in her eyes "Seriously?!"

"Well talk to me!" Cameron practically yelled in frustration "If you actually tell me what's wrong we might get somewhere instead of running around in bloody circles Summer!"

"Talking doesn't help" Summer informed her painfully "It didn't before...Remember?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Cameron admitted helplessly.

"Yeah...You wouldn't" Summer said knowingly.

"You're being cryptic" Cameron said in annoyance "We're not going to get anywhere if you don't tell me what's going on!"

"Than I guess we won't be getting anywhere!" Summer exclaimed angrily as she stormed out of the room with Cameron hot on her heels.

"Summer!" the blonde exclaimed causing the younger girl to stop "What the hell is going on? Tell me!"

"No" Summer responded furiously "Maybe when I'm sure you've actually started to listen to me again...I'll tell you"

"You're being really immature" Cameron stated heatedly "If there's a problem we should deal with it instead of arguing about it...Where are you going?!" she frowned as she watched Summer pull on a jacket.

"Away from your complaining!" Summer answered before she walked toward the front door.

"But it's..." Cameron was cut off as the door slammed shut "Dark...Damn it!" she slumped onto the couch and placed her head in her hand trying to think of what had gone wrong.

---

"Guess what?!" Ruby was practically jumping up and down as she spoke into the phone in her hand "I talked to Charlie and we're fine now..._and_ the case has been dropped!"

"That's great Rubz" Summer spoke miserably from the other end of the line "I'm really happy for you"

"Are you okay?!" Ruby asked in concern as she noticed the sad and hoarse tone of her friends voice "You sound kind of upset"

"I'm fine" Summer sniffled quietly "I just had another argument with Cam back at the house...That's all"

"Where are you?" Ruby asked instantly "I'll come right to you"

"You don't have to do that" Summer spoke up quickly "It's dark out and with Grant around...I don't want you to get hurt"

"I can hear waves" Ruby said "Which means you're at the beach...I'll be there as fast as I can"

"But..." Ruby didn't hear Summer's protest and she hung up and rushed out of her bedroom and downstairs grabbing her jacket.

"I'm going out to see Summer" she said as she stepped into the living room and focused her gaze on Charlie and Joey "I'll be back soon"

"But it's late..." Charlie began to argue.

"I'll be careful" Ruby flashed them a reassuring smile before she moved out of the room and out the front door.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Joey asked in concern as she glanced at Charlie.

"I'm sure she'll be fine" Charlie said unconvincingly.

---

"I'm here!" Ruby panted breathlessly as she dropped down onto the sand next to Summer "Sorry I took so long..."

"You really didn't have to come here" Summer said smiling weakly as she turned to face Ruby "I'm fine"

"You're not fine" Ruby said her expression only becoming more concerned as she shuffled to her right and wrapped and arm around Summer's shoulders "You've been crying...Which means you're not okay"

"Okay...I'm not" Summer admitted tearfully as she leaned her head against Ruby's shoulders "I was arguing with Cameron again and I stormed out"

"You shouldn't be out here" Ruby said softly "It's too dangerous right now"

"I know" Summer sniffled in response "But I needed to get out of the house"

"You could have come to my house" Ruby responded quietly.

"I didn't want to bother you" Summer said sadly.

"You couldn't bother me" Ruby said slowly "You know I'm always here if you need me" after a brief moment of silence she continued hesitantly already knowing the answer to the question she was about to ask "What were you and Cameron arguing about?"

"The same as always" Summer answered miserably "I don't know why I can't just talk to her about it...Or even talk to you about it"

"You make it sound like I'm your last resort" Ruby laughed softly.

"That's not what I mean" Summer replied quickly "You're far from my last resort..."

"I know" Ruby smiled "I'm just kidding Sum. I'm sure you'll be able to tell us some time. You just need to give yourself sometime"

Summer nodded slowly but frowned in concern when she felt Ruby shiver against her "You cold?" she pulled back slightly to look at the other girl to see she was wearing a simple tee and jeans.

"Kind of" Ruby nodded. She smiled when Summer pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her enveloping her in warmth "Thanks Sum"

"Anytime" Summer whispered. They sat in content silence for a few moments before Summer pulled away much to Ruby's disappointment and stood up offering the younger girl a hand "We should probably get back...I don't want you getting too cold"

"I was perfectly warm where I was" Ruby pouted as she grabbed Summer's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up off the ground.

"Sorry" Summer grinned as they began to walk slowly along the beach "But you'll be even warmer back at home"

"Are you coming with me?" Ruby asked hopefully "I'll get Charlie to call Cameron to let her know where you are..."

"Sure" Summer answered with a soft smile "If you want me to"

Ruby nodded and smiled brightly as they continued to walk, in the dim light "Of course I do"

"Did you hear that?" Summer said suddenly as she stopped and looked around in alarm.

"No..." Ruby answered "I didn't hear anything...You're being paranoid" she tugged gently at the other girl's hand and they continued to walk slowly "Anyway we'll be ho..." she trailed off as she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. The last thing she heard was Summer screaming her name before everything turned black.

TBC


	61. Chapter 61

**Hey guys thanks so much for all of your reviews (And for answering my question!). I really appreciate it :) Hope you like this chapter...**

Chapter 61

"Where is she?" Charlie questioned anxiously as she paced backwards and forwards in front of the couch "She's been gone for hours! Where could she possibly be?"

"Um..." Joey watched her wife pacing feeling herself getting dizzier by the second. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it and stood up grabbing Charlie's arms gently to stop her frantic pacing "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this..."

"Right" Charlie took a deep breath and attempted to pull herself together. She pulled out her cell phone and for what felt like the fiftieth time dialled Ruby's number. She listened as the call rung off "No answer...It's not like Ruby to ignore her phone. She wouldn't. Especially not now with everything that's going on"

"I know" Joey said in agreement as she bit her lip anxiously "Maybe we should..." she was cut off as a knocking sounded at the door.

Charlie swallowed heavily her mind instantly conjuring the worst situations she could think of "Joey..."

"She might have forgotten her keys" Joey said though she too looked slightly alarmed as they made their way to the door. She breathed a sigh of partial relief when she opened it and found Cameron standing on the doorstep "Cam"

"Is Summer here?" Cameron asked nervously her gaze flitting past Joey and Charlie "Please tell me she's here with you"

"She's not" Charlie answered as she gently tugged Cameron into the house and shut the door behind her "But Ruby's not here either"

"They must be together" Cameron said sounding slightly calmer than before now that she knew her sister wasn't alone.

"Ruby said that she was going to meet Summer" Joey said as they walked back into the living room "That was about two hours ago though and she hasn't come back yet...It isn't like either of them to be this late or not to at least call"

"Summer was upset" Cameron said quietly as she slumped onto a chair and placed her head in her hands, her panic increasing by the second "We were arguing and she stormed out."

"That must have been why Ruby rushed off so quickly" Charlie said in realisation "You know she hates seeing Summer upset..."

"Okay" Joey said in an effort to stay calm "Then we can stop panicking right? If Summer's really upset maybe they just went somewhere quiet to talk. Maybe they lost track of the time or something"

"I hope so" Charlie said quietly as she sat down next to Cameron and placed a hand on her arm in an effort to provide comfort "It's dangerous out there right now with Grant losing the case and all..."

"He lost the case?" Cameron looked up and managed a weak smile at the news "That's great"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded slowly and bit her lip thoughtfully "But that means that he's going to be pissed off that he lost" as she vocalised her thoughts she jumped up from the couch feeling panic shoot through her once again "I need to go and look for them before he does"

"I'm coming with you" Cameron said instantly as she too stood up from the couch.

"But..." Joey began to protest half heartedly.

"We need to do something" Charlie implored quietly as she grasped Joey's hands in her own "We can't just do nothing. I need to know that they're safe...I need Ruby back here"

"Okay" Joey sighed but nodded in understanding "I'll stay her in case they come back"

"Thank you" Charlie said gratefully as she kissed Joey quickly before she rushed towards the doorway with Cameron hot on her heels.

"Be careful!" Joey called out just as the door slammed shut behind them. She released a breath and slumped down on the couch, feeling her worry for the two girls' amplify now that she found herself alone in the house.

"God, I hope they're okay" she whispered to herself.

---

"Mmmph" Ruby groaned as she stirred slightly from her slumber. She was instantly aware of the fact that she was lying on something warm and soft. Or at least her head was. The rest of her body ached in protest at the hard surface underneath her. She winced in pain as she became aware of the throbbing pain in the back of her head.

"Ruby?" at the sound of Summer's voice Ruby blinked her eyes open. She winced against the light of the room as she did so but she was able to focus enough to recognise Summer looking down at her.

"Sum..."

"Yeah, it's just me" Summer exclaimed in relief "I'm so glad you're okay. I thought you'd really hurt your head..."

"I'm fine" Ruby winced painfully and sat up slowly removing her head from Summer's lap. She whimpered slightly in pain at the movement and moved a hand to the back of her head. When she felt something wet on her hand she pulled it back to see a familiar red liquid.

"I tried to stop the bleeding..." Summer said quietly motioning towards her blood covered shirt "But I'm not really all that good with blood"

"Where are we?" Ruby asked as she looked around the unfamiliar room, feeling increasingly alarmed "And who hit me on the head?"

"It was Grant!" Summer exclaimed sounding on the verge of tears "I tried to stop him Rubz...I swear but he was too strong!" for the first time Ruby noticed the bruise on Summer's cheek as well as her bloody lip.

"its okay" she lifted a hand tenderly to the bruise on the older girl's cheek and trailed a finger gently across it "I know" she frowned in concern when Summer winced "that looks like it really hurts"

"It does" Summer answered quietly as she leaned unconsciously into Ruby's touch "He hit me when I tried to stop him"

"Great" Ruby muttered as she lowered her hand slowly "Kidnapped twice in less than a year...I'm on a roll"

"Twice?" Summer frowned in confusion.

"Yeah" Ruby nodded in response "Long story short...A guy who had something against Joey decided that the best way to get to her was through me and Charlie so he kidnapped me and as a result I caught hypothermia. Then Joey was kidnapped too and she was shot because she pushed me out of the way of the bullet..."

"Wow" Summer said in astonishment "And I thought _my_ life was dramatic....Yours sounds more like a soap opera"

Ruby chuckled lightly as she glanced around the small room "You really don't know the half of it" they fell into a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before Summer spoke up again.

"Do you mind if I..." she motioned towards Ruby's head and blushed slightly though she wasn't sure why exactly "I should make sure it's stopped bleeding"

"Go for it" Ruby said in a soft voice.

Summer sat up slightly and moved to kneel behind the younger girl. She gently moved Ruby's blood tangled hair in order to see the wound. She pulled her hand back when Ruby flinched "Sorry"

"It's okay" Ruby whispered.

"It's stopped bleeding" Summer said quietly as she moved back into her previous position next to Ruby "But you have to tell me if your head hurts really bad or you feel tired or dizzy, okay? You might have concussion"

"Okay" Ruby couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips at Summer's obvious concern "I'll tell you" she leaned against the wall and shivered slightly against the chill in the room.

"You're cold" Summer observed quietly as she watched Goosebumps appear on Ruby's arms.

"A little bit" Ruby said softly as she glanced down at herself "I'm not exactly dressed for this"

"Here" Summer sat up slightly and pulled off her jacket "Put this on"

"I'm fine Sum" Ruby said instantly "You'll get cold if you don't keep that on"

"I don't care" Summer stated adamantly "It's important that we keep you warm because of erm...your head injury"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"I don't know...Just put it on" Summer rolled her eyes at Ruby's reluctance "I don't want you to get cold. That's all"

"But..." at Summer's look Ruby sighed and gave in pulling the jacket on "Fine...Thanks Summer"

Summer shrugged and looked down at the floor guiltily.

"What is it?" Ruby asked in concern.

"Nothing it's just...It's my fault you're here anyway" Summer said quietly "If I hadn't stormed away from Cameron you wouldn't have had to come to the beach"

"I didn't have to" Ruby corrected as she lowered her hand to grasp Summer's "I chose to go to the beach. You didn't make me do anything. It wasn't your fault"

Summer shrugged disbelievingly and Ruby sighed in exasperation at the older girl's stubbornness. She frowned as Summer shivered slightly against the cold "Do you want your..."

"No" Summer shook her head instantly "You can keep it. I'm fine"

"Well if you're not going to wear it we're going to have to share it" Ruby said as she shuffled closer and wrapped her arms loosely around Summer's waist effectively sharing the heat from the coat and her body. Her mind flashed back to their moment on the beach and she sighed wistfully.

"Thanks Rubz" Summer said gratefully "But you know you don't have to..."

"I know" Ruby interrupted "But I want to" they fell silent for a couple of minutes before she spoke up again "They're going to be worried sick"

"I know" Summer sighed sadly "Cameron's going to be blaming herself for arguing with me before I stormed off..."

Ruby nodded in response unable to think of anything else to say.

---

"They're not here" Cameron said in alarm as they scanned the length of the beach for the fifth time "I don't know where else they could be..."

"Damn it..." Charlie blew a strand of hair from her face and looked around hopefully "We've looked everywhere..."

"Maybe they went back to your place?" Cameron offered in an attempt to be optimistic.

"Joey would have called" Charlie responded fearfully still scanning the beach.

"Hey" Cameron said suddenly as she caught sight of a flash of metal "What's that?!" she jogged over to it and kneeled down next to it picking it up slowly.

"Cam?" Charlie asked in concern as she noticed tears suddenly glittering in the other woman's eyes. She knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her arm "What is it?" she looked down at the silver 'S' in Cameron's hand.

"Summer's" Cameron said softly "She would never have taken this off. She's had it for years..."

"What does that mean?"Charlie asked cautiously, though her police instincts were already screaming the answer at her.

"It means..." Cameron looked up and swallowed heavily "They're officially missing"

TBC


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62 

"I need your help"

Georgina Watson looked up briefly at the sound of her senior constable's voice though she looked back down at her work almost immediately, a heavy sigh escaping her "Yeah...Doesn't everyone?"

"I'm serious!" Charlie stated firmly though her voice was laden with unshed tears "Ruby and Summer are _missing_ Watson!"

"Again?" Watson frowned as she looked up from her work at the three women in front of her "Where are they?"

"If I knew that they wouldn't be missing!" Charlie snapped irritably "Now are you going to help me or not?!"

"What happened?" Watson asked as she leaned back slightly in her chair "Were you arguing before they left or something because..."

"Ruby would never run away!" Charlie exclaimed as Cameron averted her eyes to the ground, thinking back to her argument with Summer before she had left the house "It's him...Grant! He has them"

"Whoa!" Watson held her hands up in a sign for her to slow down "You don't know that Charlie. Let's not jump to any conclusions here okay? Just...Calm down"

"Calm down?!" Charlie asked in a high voice "You're seriously telling me to calm down when my daughter and Cameron's sister are out there with a perverted RAPIST?! You have absolutely no idea what he could be doing to them right now..." she choked on a soft sob and squeezed Joey's hand tightly as unwanted thoughts filled her head.

"Charlie..." Joey whispered, her own eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"The rules..."

"I don't care about the rules!" Charlie yelled tearfully "I just _want her back_!" unable to suppress her tears any longer she turned into Joey's arms.

"Georgie please..." Cameron spoke up for the first time pain etched into her features "Summer's my Sister. Ruby is Charlie's _daughter_. We can't just sit around and do nothing...We have to find them!"

Watson exhaled deeply as she looked at Cameron thoughtfully "I'll put out a search warrant on Grant right away and I'll have a team start looking for them"

"I'm going to go and look for them" Charlie stated as she pulled away from Joey's arms "I can't just do nothing..."

"Charlie you shouldn't..." Watson trailed off and sighed heavily as Charlie turned and walked out of the door anyway, completely ignoring her protests "Do one of you want to go after her? I need one of you here to tell me what happened"

"Cam...I think you should go" Joey said surprising both Watson and Cameron "You know what she's going through because of the Grant thing. You might be able to talk some sense into her"

"Are you sure?" Cameron asked hesitantly "I know you must want to go after her..."

"I'm sure" Joey nodded slowly "Just...Make sure she's okay"

"I will" Cameron promised before she ran out of the door after Charlie. She spotted her in the distance and sped up to catch up with her "Charlie! Wait up!"

Charlie stopped walking and waited until Cameron had caught up to her before she started walking again.

"So where are we going?" Cameron questioned as she looked nervously at the darkness around them.

"We're going to find them" Charlie answered firmly "I don't know how or...or" she stopped suddenly causing Cameron to stop next to her "I don't even know where to start..."

"I know" Cameron whispered looking just as defeated "Maybe we should start looking first thing tomorrow morning when we can actually see where we're going..."

"No" Charlie shook her head adamantly and narrowed her eyes at Cameron "I'm not giving up. I can't believe you would even suggest it Cam!"

"I'm not saying that you should give up" Cameron defended quietly "I'm just saying that tonight isn't the best time to search and if you don't get some sleep you're going to be no use at all tomorrow"

"How can you be so calm about all of this?" Charlie asked incredulously "Your sister is out there and it's like...It's just any other case"

"I'm not calm" Cameron said softly as she averted her gaze to the ground "Believe me Charlie, I'm anything _but_ calm right now. I'm just...Trying to do the right thing for them. I owe them that much"

"We have to keep looking" Charlie insisted strongly though her tears were once again resurfacing "Do you seriously want to leave them alone with him after what he did to _us?!_ There's no way of knowing what he's doing to them right now..."

"Charlie..." Cameron stepped forward and enveloped the older girl in her arms as she burst into tears "I know. We'll find them..." she felt her own tears begin to spill once again as her thoughts flitted to Summer and Ruby and where they could be.

"You don't know that" Charlie sobbed quietly "They could be anywhere by now...And I can't stop thinking about..."

"Don't think about that" Cameron ordered as she pulled back to look at Charlie "I'm not thinking about it because I know I'll break down if I do. So just...Don't think about it. Focus on getting them back instead, okay?"

Charlie hesitated for a moment before she nodded slowly "Okay..."

"You should head home" Cameron said softly "You'll need some sleep for when we start looking tomorrow..."

Charlie looked like she was about to protest before she nodded reluctantly. She gazed thoughtfully at Cameron noticing her unusually calm demeanour "Are you...Okay?"

"No" Cameron shook her head instantly in response to the question "I'm not...I'm just trying to be strong...I'm trying to focus on getting them back. I can fall apart then..."

"Oh" Charlie frowned fully aware of the fact that Cameron was holding something back from her "Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Yeah" Cameron nodded though she refused to meet Charlie's gaze "That's all" she gestured behind them "Maybe we should head back to the station so Joey can take you home?"

"What are you talking about?" Charlie asked in surprise "You're coming with us. There's no way in hell you're staying alone tonight"

"But..." Cameron began to protest but stopped at Charlie's look "Fine...I'll come with you...If you're sure you don't mind?"

"Of course I don't" Charlie said instantly before they began to walk back towards the station.

---

Ruby winced as she stirred in her sleep becoming instantly aware of the pain in her neck "Ow..." she blinked her eyes open and lifted her head wearily from an already awake Summer's shoulder "Ugh...Remind me why we slept on the floor when there's a bed right over there?

"I didn't notice it last night" Summer said quietly "I was kind of preoccupied"

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked quietly as she stretched slightly. She winced when she noticed that the bruise on Summer's cheek had darkened slightly over night "that looks like it hurts more than it did yesterday"

Summer shrugged and offered her a small smile "It kind of does"

"I can't wait to get out of here" Ruby sighed as she leaned back against the wall "Charlie, Joey and Cameron will probably be freaking out right now..."

"Yeah" Summer nodded slowly "They'll have probably called a search party to look for us by now..." she stopped as something occurred to her "Called..." she reached forward and began searching the pockets of her jacket which was currently covering Ruby.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"Ha!" Summer exclaimed triumphantly as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open. Her smile quickly faded when she tried to switch it on and was greeted with a blank screen. After a moment the screen flashed low battery before it faded to black again "Damn it!"

"Summer..." Ruby began slowly as she noticed frustrated tears beginning to well up in the older girl's eyes.

"Stupid phone!" Summer growled as she chucked the phone to her left and dropped her head into her hands "I thought it would actually work..."

"It'll be okay" Ruby soothed quietly as she placed her hand on Summer's back "We'll get out of here. I promise"

"I wouldn't count on that"

Both girls looked up in surprise at the voice to see Grant leaning casually on doorway to their left.

"What do you want with us?" Ruby asked sharply as she struggled to her feet with Summer at her side "Why did you bring us here?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out" Grant smirked at them as he placed two bottles of water on the floor "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually though..."

"Let us..." Ruby trailed off in shock as Grant turned and left the room "Go...Damn it!" she leaned back against the wall tiredly.

"Are you okay?"Summer asked in concern as she grasped Ruby's arm to steady her "You look a bit pale Rubz..."

"I'm fine" Ruby reassured her quickly "I just need to sit down"

"Right" Summer nodded and gently guided Ruby over to the bed to sit down "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine" Ruby lay on her back and closed her eyes briefly "I just need to lie down for a while..."

"We need to get out of here" Summer said quietly as she lay on her stomach next to Ruby and fiddled idly with her bracelet, which used to bare a small silver 'S' "Soon"

"Hmmn" Ruby nodded in response but found she couldn't find the strength to say much else. Instead she grasped Summer's hand for comfort and hope that Charlie, Joey and Cameron would find them soon.

TBC


	63. Chapter 63

**Hey guys here's the next chapter! Thanks for your reviews. I love to know what y'all think about the fic. Just to check...It's a majority yes to the Summer and Ruby i.e. the Rummer 'ship? I really don't want to do anything you guys don't want :) Oh and quick warning...There's a lil bit of violence in this chapter. **

Chapter 63

"It's been almost two days" Charlie sighed despairingly as she glanced over at Cameron who was typing intently at her laptop "And we still haven't found anything about what happened to them or where they are now..."

"We know what happened to them" Cameron corrected looking up from her work "Grant's taken them"

"I mean we don't know where they are" Charlie said as she dropped her head into her hands "This is ridiculous...We should be able to find _something_! We're cops for God sake!"

"Okay..." seeing Charlie was close to hitting something Cameron stood up and stretched slightly. She winced as she realised that sitting in a chair for 12 hours straight was not good for one's back "This is what we do know..."

"I'm listening" Charlie looked up hopefully and nodded for Cameron to continue.

"We know they're not in Summer bay" Cameron started purposefully "They have to be somewhere else"

"Because the search party can't find them anywhere here" Charlie said "But they can't be too far away either, right?"

"Right" Cameron nodded "We also know that it has to be Grant who's taken them to wherever they are..."

"Because nobody has seen him since Ruby and Summer went missing two days ago and that's way too much of a coincidence" Charlie agreed "What else do we know?"

"Um..." Cameron though for a moment before shrugging helplessly "I think that's all we know..."

"We've been looking for two days and that's all we know?!" Charlie exclaimed in a stricken voice "If we keep up like this we're never going to be able to find them!"

"We need to stay calm" Cameron instructed gently "And we need to think positively"

"I don't get you!" Charlie said loudly as she stood up from her chair and slammed her hands down on her desk in pure frustration "How can you be so calm about this Cameron? I don't think you understand the fact that your sister is somewhere out there with a _rapist_! You don't even seem to care anymore than you would for any other case!"

Cameron's gaze dropped to the ground and she hesitated for a moment before speaking up quietly "If I think about what could be happening too much I'm not going to be able to do anything to help them. If I think about the fact that Summer is out there with the man who raped me I'm going to fall apart. I know I am. If I think about what he could be doing to them..." she visibly shuddered as she looked up at Charlie with tears in her eyes "It's not that I don't care. It's far from it in fact...It's just that I'm trying to deal with this the best way I know how and falling apart isn't going to work. For once in my life I'm trying to stay strong and do what's right for my sister...Okay?"

"I'm sorry" Charlie apologised softly as she realised she had upset the other girl "I shouldn't have said any of that stuff"

"Maybe you're right" Cameron sighed as she sank miserably back into her seat "Maybe I'm being too detached from the whole situation"

"Everyone deals in different way" Charlie responded as she too sat back down and leaned her head on her hand "But that doesn't excuse the way I just talked to you. I should never have suggested that you don't care about Summer _or _Ruby. I'm surprised you didn't deck me"

Cameron managed a small smile at that statement "Anyone else and I probably would have but it's understandable that you're annoyed right now Charlie. I am too..."

"I just want them back" Charlie said in a small voice as she looked briefly down at the files scattered on her desk in front of her "I want them to be safe"

"I know" Cameron sighed quietly. They fell into a short silence before Charlie exhaled in frustration.

"I can't stand this" she said quietly as she tapped her pen agitatedly against the desk "I can't stand guessing where they are. Wondering what he's doing to them..."

"You don't think he would stoop that low do you?" Cameron asked as she watched Charlie pale slightly "Ruby's his _daughter_"

"I'm hoping he wouldn't" Charlie closed her eyes against her rising nausea "But I really don't know. And...Summer's not related to him in any way"

Cameron nodded and bit her lip fearfully "I don't want to think about that..."

"Me either" Charlie agreed as she tried to push the thoughts from her head "Let's just...Keep looking for them"

"Right" Cameron nodded and they quickly returned to their work. A matter of minutes later a knock at the door interrupted them and they both looked up just as Joey walked through with a bag in her hand.

"Hey" she smiled weakly and offered a small wave "I brought you both lunch since you haven't eaten since yesterday and well..._Somebody_ has to take care of you"

"Thanks Joey" Cameron smiled softly at her ex.

"No problem" Joey shrugged as she walked over to Charlie and kissed her quickly "Anything new over here?" she placed her hands on Charlie's shoulders and massaged the other girl's tense muscles gently.

"We've realised that we know nothing except they're not in Summer bay and neither is Grant" Charlie sighed miserably "And that we have no idea where they could be right now"

"Um...I may have another problem" Cameron spoke up reluctantly her gaze locked on the bag Joey had placed on the desk.

"What?" Charlie frowned "What else could there be?"

"Ruby has diabetes, right?" Cameron looked up at them in concern "And I doubt Grant cares enough to carry insulin round with him. And taking into account that they may not have eaten for almost two days..."

"This is bad" Joey whispered as their thoughts fleeted to what had happened the last time Ruby's sugar levels had become irregular "This is very bad..."

---

"I'm bored" Ruby complained as she played idly with the bracelet on Summer's wrist "And tired, cold, hungry...Did I mention bored yet?"

"I think so" Summer chuckled lightly at Ruby's complaining "And since we've exhausted normal things to do when you're kidnapped, bored and locked in a room like I spy and twenty questions...I'm out of ideas"

"This sucks" Ruby mumbled quietly as she shifted on the bed "This is even worse than last time I was locked up"

"Are you suggesting I'm bad company?" Summer smiled lightly at the other girl "Because it sounds like you are..."

"No" Ruby shook her head and smiled warmly "There's nobody I would rather be locked up with...Though I'd prefer we weren't locked up at all" she shifted again and winced audibly.

"What's wrong?" Summer frowned in concern.

"Nothing...I'm fine" Ruby lied quickly "Nothing's wrong"

"There is something wrong...You're kind of pale" Summer said as she leaned up on her elbow to look down at Ruby "Are you feeling okay, Rubz?"

"um...I feel kind of sick" Ruby admitted with a sheepish shrug "And a bit weak...I may have a headache too"

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?!" Summer exclaimed as she placed her hand on Ruby's slightly clammy forehead "You're kind of hot"

"Thanks" Ruby chuckled breathily.

"I...You know what I mean" Summer narrowed her eyes at Ruby and attempted to hide her blush.

"Are you blushing?" Ruby grinned weakly.

"No!" Summer responded quickly "You...You're trying to change the subject!"

"So are you" Ruby countered.

"Ruby..."

"Fine" Ruby sighed and closed her eyes tiredly "It's the diabetes. I haven't eaten or anything in two days so I guess my sugar levels are low or something right now"

"Oh" Summer sat up slightly her eyes widening in alarm "Oh shit...That's not good"

"I know" Ruby nodded "I remember the last time my sugar levels were too low. It's kind of like how I'm feeling right about now..."

"Um...What should I do?" Summer asked in alarm "I don't..." her eyes widened suddenly in realisation "Chewing Gum! I have gum in my jacket pocket" she began to dig through the pockets of the jacket Ruby was wearing "Not even the crappy sugar free kind...This is full of sugar!"

"I don't think that will work Sum" Ruby said quietly as Summer pulled out a pack of Hubba-Bubba chewing gum.

"Why not?" Summer asked as she held out the gum to Ruby "It's sugary...It'll tide you over until we get out of here...I hope"

"I suppose so" Ruby concurred and popped the gum into her mouth before she slumped back down onto the bed "God I'm tired..."

"Do you need anything?" Summer asked as she moved to get up "Because..."

"I need you to stay still" Ruby said as she pulled Summer gently back down onto the bed "Make sure I stay awake...At least for now"

"Um..."

"What's the story of the bracelet?" Ruby asked curiously as she averted her hand to the silver bracelet around Summer's wrist "You never take it off...though it's missing the S now"

"I didn't know you took that much notice" Summer said quietly.

"Of course I do" Ruby said barely able to suppress a yawn "So...What about it?"

"Well..." Summer started wistfully "Cam had just gotten engaged to Marissa and I was starting to feel kind of like...My relationship with her wouldn't be the same since she would want space and stuff...y'know?"

Ruby nodded as she recalled feeling like that on Charlie's wedding day.

"She bought me this bracelet and told me that she would always be there even when she's not there physically" Summer continued quietly "She has a matching one"

"I didn't notice" Ruby said in a soft voice.

"I thought you said you took notice?" Summer asked.

"Maybe I only take notice of you" Ruby smiled sleepily.

"I wish you had some idea about what you're saying right now" Summer whispered more to herself than to Ruby.

"Wha..." a loud bang from the other side of the room cut Ruby off and Summer leapt to her feet just as Grant walked through the door.

"What?" he grinned when he noticed her defensive position in front of Ruby who had sat up on the bed "I didn't even do anything yet"

Summer remained silent and continued to glare at him.

"You don't feel like talking today?" Grant laughed evilly as he leaned against the wall "That's too bad...I guess you'll just have to listen than" he cast a look at Ruby "Is she sick or something? She doesn't look so good..." he started towards them but stopped when Summer tensed.

"Don't even think about touching her"

"Quite defensive I see" Grant grinned as he looked at her thoughtfully "Interesting"

Summer shuddered slightly but refused to falter under his probing stare.

"You know...It's quite boring having to stay here all day every day" Grant complained in a bored tone of voice "I'll have to find a way to make my days more interesting pretty soon..."

Summer swallowed heavily as his cold gaze swept across her body.

"Stop it!" Ruby exclaimed as she managed to get up from the bed and pulled Summer close to her side "If you even think about touching her..."

"Hmmm" Grant hummed curiously to herself "Very interesting" he took two large steps towards them and grabbed Summer's arm pulling her easily away from a weak Ruby "What are you going to do Ruby? Glare me to death?" truth be told if looks could kill at that moment Grant would have crumbled into a pile of dust from Ruby's furious glare.

"Sit" Grant ordered as he pushed her lightly backwards causing her to stumble back onto the bed. He felt Summer tense again in his grip and glanced at her smirking callously "you and I are going to have a bit of fun..."

"No" Ruby whispered as she sat up on the bed "Leave her the hell alone!" she watched in unadulterated horror as he shoved Summer back against the wall and placed a hand against her shoulder pinning her there.

"Hey!" he leaned forward and whispered in Summer's ear as she struggled valiantly against his firm grip "Just a quick warning 'Summer'...Since I don't think of Ruby as having anything to do with me um...Biologically...if I was you I would stop struggling in case you want the same fate to come to Ruby over there. I mean she is so much weaker..."

"You're sick" Summer hissed furiously at him though she stopped struggling almost immediately "You're a sick perverted bastard"

"And yet you've stopped struggling" Grant noticed with a smirk "You must really care about her a lot"

Summer whimpered as his hand moved roughly across her body "Ruby? Close your eyes"

"What are you doing?!" Ruby questioned in horror too stricken to actually move "FIGHT HIM Summer!"

"Close your bloody eyes Ruby!" Summer whimpered as tears formed rapidly in her own eyes.

"NO!" with a burst of strength Ruby didn't know she had she jumped off the bed and rushed at Grant pushing him roughly away from Summer "I told you not to fucking touch her!"

"Erm..." Grant stared at her speechlessly finding himself reminded of when Charlie had hit him at the hospital. Ruby was giving him exactly the same look right that second as she stood there shaking and pale but standing nonetheless "Whatever...I'll be back" with that said her turned and walked out of the room. Ruby followed him to the door to make sure he had actually left. When she realised he had she turned around and looked at Summer who was still standing in the same position.

"Sum..." she moved quickly over to the tearful girl and wrapped her in a warm embrace "Hey...It's okay. He's gone now...It's going to be okay. I promise"

Summer nodded tearfully and clung to Ruby as both of them shaking from fear and exhaustion slumped to the ground together in tears.

"We have to get out of here" Ruby whispered suddenly "We can't just wait for help. We have to get out by ourselves"

TBC


	64. Chapter 64

**Hey guys thanks for all of your reviews! They're really appreciated :) Thanks to Jaybes and Sid B for the awesome compliments. Actually made me blush lol...Anyway hope everyone likes this (slightly longer than usual) chapter. **

Chapter 64

Ruby yawned tiredly as she leaned up on her elbows on the bed, watching thoughtfully as Summer jumped up and down in front of the small window which was placed above her head.

"Damn it" Summer muttered breathlessly before she stepped closer to the window and grabbed the ledge attempting in vain to pull herself up. She dropped back to the ground and sighed when she realised that her efforts were getting her nowhere. At the sound of a soft chuckle she turned around and glared half heartedly at her companion "Are you laughing at me Buckton?"

"No...I mean yes...Sorry" Ruby apologised through her laughter "It's just...Who do you think you are? Spiderman?"

"You're lucky I like you" Summer smiled as she moved to sit on the bed next to Ruby "Or you would have been sorry for that comment"

"Right" Ruby chuckled lightly as she dropped back onto the bed "So any more amazing ideas about how we should get out of here?"

Summer shrugged, her expression dropping considerably "The window is all I've come up with"

"The only way we're going to be able to get out of that window is if we spontaneously grow wings and shrink by 3 foot" Ruby commented dryly "It's not going to happen"

"Well do you have any ideas?" Summer asked expectantly at Ruby's frustrated tone "Because If you do I'm all ears"

"No" Ruby sighed and closed her eyes briefly "I'm sorry...I don't feel well and I'm taking it out on you...Sorry"

"It's okay" Summer said quietly as she reached out and squeezed Ruby's hand "How _are _you feeling today?"

"Terrible" Ruby answered with a small smile "The same as yesterday...Maybe a little bit worse"

"I need to get you out of here" Summer muttered, worry clear on her expression as she scanned the small room for a way out "Maybe we could distract him and I'll...hit him with something"

"Hit him with something?" Ruby asked sceptically "You? Seriously Sum? I don't think that would work"

"Hey I'm stronger than I look!" Summer protested. She continued at Ruby's doubtful expression "Okay so maybe that won't work" they fell into a short silence for a moment before Ruby spoke up again in a quiet hesitant voice.

"Are we going to...talk about what happened yesterday?"

"There's nothing to talk about" Summer said softly though her eyes flicked to the ground as she spoke "I'm fine. He didn't have time to do anything..."

"But he started to" Ruby reminded her gently as she gave the other girl's hand a soft squeeze "I just...I don't understand why you stopped fighting him"

"I had my reasons" Summer answered as she stood up and walked slightly away from Ruby "Look Ruby...I really don't want to talk about this right now, okay?"

"Well I do!" Ruby stated a hint of anger in her voice as she stood up shakily "I want to know _why _Summer...Why were you just going to let him...?"

"Ruby, just stop okay?" Summer pleaded as she looked back to Ruby "I'm just trying to do what's right for everyone...I'm trying to get us out of here"

"Yeah well it seems to me like you're on some kind of suicide mission!" Ruby countered shakily "And you won't even talk to me...You won't even tell me what's wrong with you!"

"DAMN IT RUBY!" Summer yelled in frustration. Her eyes widened in surprise when Ruby jumped at the unexpected outburst and already unsteady from the effect of her diabetes stumbled backwards and tripped over her own feet.

"Ow..."

"Ruby!" Summer exclaimed in panic as she rushed over to the girl in question and dropped to her knees next to her "Oh shit...I'm sorry Rubz. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just...I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? I'm so..."

"I'm okay" Ruby winced interrupting the other girl's worried babble "Nothing bruised except my ego. That's all...Don't worry. It's not your fault" she smiled weakly up at the brunette who gazed at her in concern for a moment before throwing her arms around her.

"I'm sorry" Summer said, her voice sounding thick with tears "I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just...I'm trying to protect you as best I can under the circumstances and it's really frustrating that I can't do it!"

"Hey" Ruby returned the hug lightly before she pulled away and offered Summer a small smile "It's okay...You didn't hurt me. I'm totally fine. See?" she gestured towards herself as if to prove her point.

"Well I wouldn't say totally fine..." Summer sniffled quietly "Since you're ill and everything"

"Maybe not" Ruby smiled softly as she wiped the older girl's tears away "But you haven't hurt me at all. There's nothing you can do about the diabetes but...We're going to be fine. We'll get out of this. I know we will"

"Okay" Summer took a shuddering breath and nodded slowly "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just _really_ scared..."

"I know" Ruby sighed heavily and pulled her closer "So am I Sum but we just have to stick together and we'll get through this okay? Everything will be fine"

"You're right" Summer said quietly as she stood up from the ground pulling Ruby gently up with her "Are you sure you're okay? That fall looked pretty rough..."

"I'm fine" Ruby reassured her quietly as she found herself sitting on the bed again "Summer?"

"What is it Rubz?" Summer sat on the bed next to Ruby and gazed at her in concern at the seriousness in her voice.

"What you did yesterday...Trying to stay quiet to protect me?" at Summer's shocked look Ruby explained herself "I realised when you told me that you were trying to protect me as best you can...You don't have to you know..."

"I do have to" Summer argued softly "I'll do anything in my power to make sure he doesn't touch you or..." she trailed off and bit her lip, unable to say the words "I don't want anything like that to happen to you so I'll do anything in my power to stop it. You know I care about you...A hell of a lot"

"I care about you a lot too" Ruby responded sincerely "Which is kind of why I have an idea about how we should get out of here"

"What kind of idea?" Summer asked in anticipation as she stretched slightly.

"I was thinking..." Ruby started slowly fully aware that Summer wouldn't be happy with the proposition "Maybe I should distract him and you can like...Get some help? I doubt I'm going to be able to escape in this condition anyway..."

"I hope you're joking" Summer said as she narrowed her eyes at Ruby "But if you are that's not funny"

"Erm...I'm not joking?" Ruby attempted quietly.

"There is no way in hell I'm leaving you alone with him" Summer said firmly "I would rather just stay here and _wait_ for help"

"But it might not come" Ruby said quietly.

"It will!" Summer exclaimed strongly "Cameron, Charlie and Joey will have _everybody _looking by now. Help will be here soon but I'm not leaving without you"

"Bu..."

"And" Summer continued glaring determinedly at Ruby "If you suggest it again I'm going to have to clobber you...Got it?"

"Clobber me?" Ruby chuckled lightly.

"Shut up" Summer blushed slightly "I mean it though. I'm staying with you no matter what" a moment later she found herself slightly surprised when Ruby threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Thanks Summer" Ruby said softly as tears formed in her eyes at the level of care shown by the other teen. They stayed in the embrace for a long moment before the door opened causing them both to pull away.

"Not interrupting something am I?" Grant leered drunkenly as he stumbled into the room, kicking the door closed behind him. Ruby and Summer shared a worried glance at the thought of what his drunkenness would mean for them. When they didn't answer him Grant rolled his eyes and took a seat on the floor leaning against the wall "Not talking to me again? That's too bad...I guess I'll have to talk _at_ you again"

"Oh the joys!" Ruby exclaimed sarcastically.

"Sarcasm...I like that" Grant chuckled as he sipped from his bottle of beer "That's my girl"

"Or not" Ruby disagreed in disgust.

Grant shook his head as his expression darkened and he looked over at Summer who was glaring darkly at him "So...Summer? What do you say we picked up where we left off yesterday?"

"You're disgusting" Summer noted cringing slightly from the memory as Ruby's grip on her hand tightened.

"Maybe" Grant shrugged carelessly as he lumbered to his feet causing both girls' to tense. He grinned sadistically at the control he had over them "They're probably wondering where you are by now...that's too bad" he focused on Summer and motioned with his head for her to come closer "You remember our deal?"

"Summer don't you dare move..." Ruby whispered as she tightened her grip even further.

Grant's expression darkened when Summer made no movement "Hurry up!"

"You're not going to touch her" Ruby stated, glaring at him defiantly.

"Yeah?" Grant laughed at her statement "And who's going to stop me? You?!"

"Yes!" Ruby nodded firmly much to Grant's annoyance "Yes I am!"

Grant released a low irritated growl and started towards them but stopped short of reaching Ruby as Summer jumped up from the bed and stood defensively in front of her. He grinned and raised an eyebrow at her in challenge "You think you can take me?"

Summer remained silent and met his dark glare.

"You're deluded" he chuckled as he clumsily grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, his drunkenness obviously taking some affect.

"Summer!" Ruby exclaimed in alarm as the other girl's hand was pulled roughly from her own. She stood up from the bed and took a step forward as Summer was yanked away from her.

"Ow!" Summer complained as she attempted to pull her arm back "What the hell are you trying to do? Break me arm?! Freaking Psycho..."

Grant chuckled "Not yet" he glanced at Ruby and smirked when he noticed the panic on her expression ""Don't piss me off Summer. You know what will happen. In fact just for that earlier comment I'm going to...make her watch"

"You deserve so much more than being in prison" Summer said darkly, refusing to let him see her fear though she felt tears building up steadily. Her gaze fleeted to Ruby's who was watching the exchange in horror with tears in her eyes.

"What did I tell you?!" Grant growled as he squeezed her arm tighter causing her to release a quiet yelp at the pain "Shut up!" he cast a quick look at Ruby before he backed Summer up against the wall he had just been leaning on.

Summer turned her head slightly as the smell of alcohol on his breath hit her.

"Are you going to co-operate now?" Grant asked in a low dangerous voice though his speech was slurring slightly as he moved his hands roughly over her body. Summer looked up over his shoulder and met Ruby's tearful gaze trying to block out the sensation of his hands on her.

"Hey" she said eventually her voice coming out as merely a whimper though she tried to steady it "Can I have some of that?" she motioned in the direction of the beer bottle.

"Huh?" Grant looked up and shrugged when he noticed what she was talking about "Oh...Yeah, whatever"

Summer took the bottle from him and waited for a moment until she felt his hand under her shirt before she lifted the dark bottle and brought it down as hard as she could on his head. She felt a mix of satisfaction and nervousness as the bottle smashed and Grant hit the floor.

"Summer!" Ruby exclaimed as she rushed over to the other girl and hugged her tightly "Oh my God...You hit him!" she pulled back and gently pulled the stunned older girl's shirt down which had moved halfway up her stomach due to Grant's groping.

"Uh...Yeah" Summer nodded her gaze still on Grant who was out cold on the ground, bleeding profusely from his head wound "I said I would, didn't I?"

"I thought you were a pacifist" Ruby said wide eyed.

"He isn't dead is he?" Summer asked as she bent down next to him. She felt for a pulse and stood a moment later "He's just knocked out"

"God, I'm so glad you're okay!" Ruby stated tearfully as she dove back into Summer's arms "I thought he was going to..."

"I know" Summer said quietly as she hugged Ruby lightly and attempted to push back her own tears at the thought of what had almost happened "Do you think you'll be able to get out of here Rubz? With your diabetes and all..."

"I think so" Ruby nodded as she bent down next to Grant and rummaged through his pockets. She pulled out his keys and almost yelled in triumph "We better go...He'll be waking up soon"

"Right" Summer grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her gently towards the door, which she unlocked quickly. They rushed out of the house and outside.

"Where the hell are we?" Ruby asked when all she saw around her were trees and a road which seemed to lead nowhere.

"I have no idea" Summer said as they walked over to a car.

"Can you even drive?" Ruby asked as they got in.

"I don't know..." Summer shrugged with a small smile "But it's about time I learned" she turned the key in the ignition expecting the car to start and released a growl of frustration when it chugged before simply dying out "Come on..." she tried again but the engine didn't start "Damn it!"

"It's okay" Ruby reassured her quickly "We'll just have to walk"

"Walk where?!" Summer asked as they got out of the car "We don't even know where we are Ruby!"

"I don't know" Ruby shrugged as she slipped her hand back into Summer's as much for her own comfort as the other girl's "But we have to go before he wakes up..."

Summer nodded and they moved as quickly as Ruby could manage in her condition down the road.

---

"Hey" Joey said softly as she wrapped her arms around Charlie's waist and dropped a soft kiss on her neck "I brought you some more Coffee"

"Thanks Jo" Charlie smiled softly as she turned in Joey's arms and greeted her with a kiss "I really need that right now"

"I figured you would" Joey responded quietly as she caressed Charlie's cheek lightly "You've been working for a straight twenty four hours"

"I just...I really miss Ruby" Charlie admitted quietly "I hate that there's nothing I can do to get them back. We're basically powerless"

Joey nodded in understanding "I miss her too. It's ridiculously quiet without her here. I miss her constant energy and babbling, her teasing...God I even miss her yelling in the house and complaining"

"I know" Charlie chuckled sadly "I wish we could go back to like a week ago...Have her back to tease us about the simplest things, fight over the remote with Summer. I need my daughter back Joey. I don't know what I'll do if we lose her..."

"Hey don't think like that" Joey said quietly though fear filled her own eyes "We are not going to lose Ruby or Summer. They're going to be fine. We just have to..."

"Find them" Charlie finished for her "Which is way easier said than done Jo...Plus even though she's not really showing it I think Cam is on the verge of a breakdown..."

"I hate this" Joey sighed in defeat as she looked over at the files scattered on the kitchen table "Not knowing what's going on...Where they are or what he's..." she trailed off and looked down at the ground.

"I know" Charlie swallowed heavily at the thought willing the sick feeling in her stomach to pass "And Ruby's probably already sick because of low blood sugar"

"Summer will look out for her" Joey said quietly as she rubbed Charlie's arm soothingly "If Ruby's sick...At least she has Summer there. You know them Charlie...They'll stick together through thick and thin in there"

"I know" Charlie sighed as she braced herself with her hands on the table in front of her "I just want to get them back as soon as possible. I need to tell Ruby that I love her again...I need to hold her and just...I need her back"

Joey nodded in understanding as her heart ached for the girl she thought of as her own daughter "I know" she leaned slightly to the left and swore when her hip collided painfully with the edge of the table causing a file and a free piece of paper to drop to the ground "Shit I'm sorry Charlie..."

"It's fine" Charlie said quietly as they both dropped to the ground and she picked up the piece of paper. She looked at it thoughfully at the photograph of the isolated house for a moment before her eyes widened in surprise "Oh My god...Grant owns a house less than ten miles away which is completely isolated from anywhere"

"And that's important because...?" Joey asked expectantly.

"He's not in Summer Bay!" Charlie explained excitedly "And his car hasn't been found in a five mile radius...He must have them here!" she leaned forward and kissed Joey quickly "Thanks Jo!"

"Um...Okay" Joey said a small smile tugging at her lips at the thought that they were actually getting somewhere as they stood up from the ground.

"CAM!" Charlie hollered up the stairs "Come here! We're going out!"

TBC


	65. Chapter 65

**Hey guys! Thanks for your reviews for the last chapter...Sorry about the lack of CJ right now but there will be more of them coming up really soon. I promise! The song in this chapter is 'All fall down' by One Republic btw. Oh and sorry if there are a few more typos than usual but it's 4am (Again) and I haven't had time to proofread this. Hope you enjoy this chapter anyway...**

Chapter 65 

_**Step out the door**__**  
**__**And it feels like rain**__**  
**__**That's the sound**__**  
**__**That's the sound on your window pane**__**  
**__**Take to the streets**__**  
**__**But you can't ignore**__**  
**__**That's the sound**__**  
**__**That's the sound you're waiting for**__****_

_**If ever your world starts crashing down**__**  
**__**Whenever your world starts crashing down**__**  
**__**Whenever your world starts crashing down**__**  
**__**That's where you'll find me**_

"Wait...Wait!" Ruby gasped breathlessly as she stumbled through the woods with Summer. About 10 metres down the road they had found it had been a dead end forcing them to have to head into the woods "I can't..."

Summer stopped and turned to Ruby, breathing heavily "Okay. We...We can stop for a minute" she released Ruby's hand and watched as the other girl sank to the ground, leaning against a tree trunk.

"What are you looking for?" Ruby panted as she watched Summer's gaze dart around the woods "Do you think he woke up and followed us?"

"I don't know Rubz" with one last look around Summer knelt on the floor next to Ruby and looked her over in worry "Are you okay? You don't look so good right now"

"No" Ruby coughed painfully and reached blindly for the older girl, her inability to get her breath causing her to panic "Not really..."

"Hey" Summer caught Ruby's hands gently and shifted closer to her on the ground "It's going to be okay. I promise I won't let anything happen to you..." she slowly untangled one of her hands from Ruby's causing her to whimper slightly and moved it to the wheezing girl's back "It's okay. Just breathe...Slowly" when Ruby looked up at her in panic Summer swallowed heavily in an attempt to rid herself of her own rising alarm and situating herself behind the younger girl she wrapped her arms around her lightly "Copy my breathing, okay Rubz. Listen and copy it...Breathe in...out". After a moment Ruby inhaled and exhaled slowly, attempting to focus solely on Summer's breathing. Summer continued to gently coach Ruby's breathing until it reached a stable level.

"Sorry" Ruby whispered hoarsely "I don't...I don't know where that came from"

"It's okay" Summer said quietly as she began to move from her position "You don't have to apologise to me"

"Wait!" Ruby placed her hand on Summer's where they rested on her stomach halting her from moving "I mean...Can we just sit here for a minute?"

Though she couldn't see the other girl's face at that moment Summer could feel the heat emitting from Ruby, informing her that she was blushing. She grinned to herself and nodded as she sank back into her position "Okay"

"That was kind of scary" Ruby admitted in a soft voice as she gripped Summer's hand in front of her "Like...Really scary"

"Panic attack?" Summer wondered thoughtfully "Or maybe it was because of the diabetes?"

"I don't know" Ruby said in a shaky voice "That's never happened before. If it was a panic attack...I have no idea what could have caused it"

"As if running from a psycho isn't enough to panic you" Summer sighed sadly.

"We should go" Ruby said quietly "In case he catches up with us"

"Yeah" Summer muttered as she released Ruby and stood up from the ground. She offered her hand to the younger girl who took it gratefully, allowing herself to be pulled gently up from the ground.

"Ugh!" Ruby groaned as her free hand shot to her stomach and she blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision "This diabetes thing really sucks!"

"Can you walk?" Summer asked unsurely as she wrapped her arm supportively around Ruby's waist "Because if you can't we can wait until whatever it is your feeling passes"

"It's not going to pass" Ruby managed a weak smile despite her pain "So we might as well just move quickly" she continued when she noticed Summer's worried look "I'll be fine. Really"

"Okay" Summer nodded hesitantly and they began to walk in silence.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Ruby winced suddenly as she leaned slightly more on Summer "Because I'm just walking forward"

"Not really" Summer answered softly "I'm just..." she stopped suddenly as she heard a noise from her left "What was that?"

"Wha..." Ruby started before the shuffling noise sounded again, cutting her off and causing her to tighten her grip on the girl at her side "Oh My God..."

"Stay here" Summer whispered as she eased herself out from under Ruby's arm "I'm going to go and check it out" she made sure Ruby was steady before she stepped back.

"What?!" Ruby's eyes widened in alarm "No...Summer, wait!"

"I'll just be a minute!" Summer reassured her in a whisper as she walked over to the bushes the noise had come from. She paused for a moment before she stepped closer and came face to face with...A rabbit.

"It's okay" Summer said with a soft laugh "It's just a rabbit"

"A rabbit?" Ruby grinned faintly "We were about to freak out because of a ra...?"

BANG!!

She was cut off by a loud bang from the direction they had come from and both girls dove to the ground for cover.

"What was that?!" Ruby yelled over the ringing in her ears "SUMMER?" when she received no answer Ruby cautiously stood up from the ground "Summer?!" there was still no response and Ruby found herself getting more nervous by the second as she moved over to where she had last seen the other girl while looking out for Grant at the same time "SUM?!" she stopped at the edge of a steep hill which was only now visible to her.

"Aah...I'm fine!" Summer's voice sounded painfully from the bottom "Hang on Rubz, I...OW!"

"Stay there!" Ruby called down as stepped tentatively onto the beginning of the small hill "I'm coming to you" she began to slide down the hill carefully making sure not to trip.

"Shit Summer what happened?!" she exclaimed when she had reached the older girl at the bottom and noticed the scratches that covered her.

"Thorns" Summer winced as she attempted to struggle to her feet "Rocks. I fe...AH!" as soon as her left foot hit the ground Summer yelped in pain and fell back to the floor "Ow...Fuck!"

"What is it?" Ruby asked in panic as she knelt down next to her "Your ankle? Is it broken?!"

"I don't know" Summer whimpered quietly against the pain "It bloody hurts though" she slammed a hand down on the ground in frustration "Damn it...As if this could get any worse!"

"It's okay" Ruby whispered taking Summer's hand "Somehow...It's going to be okay" after a moment she released it and stood up "Come on...I'll help you up" she offered Summer both of her hands to take.

"Okay..." Summer took Ruby's hands and stood up with her help. She leaned on her right foot keeping the other hovering slightly above the ground "What was that bang earlier?"

"I don't know" Ruby answered as she slipped an arm around Summer's waist "But we should keep moving"

"Right" Summer nodded and began to limp along attempting to keep most of her weight off the weak girl at her side.

---

"Do you think they're actually here?" Joey asked cautiously as she stepped out of the car with Charlie and Cameron at her side.

"I don't know" Charlie said quietly "I hope so...This seems to be our last lead so..." she glanced at Cameron "Are you ready to do this?"

Cameron nodded surely "Ready when you are"

"Right" Charlie nodded and drew her gun as she rounded the corner of the house. She stopped short causing Cameron and Joey to almost run into her "Erm..."

"What?!" Joey asked anxiously "What is it?"

"The door's open" Charlie said in confusion "It's just...wide open"

"Be careful" Cameron whispered as she looked around and noticed his car was still there though on of the doors was ajar "He might still be around"

Charlie nodded and entered the house cautiously. She walked slowly down the corridor until she came to an open door. She stepped inside and gasped when she noticed the room was bare apart from a bed and blood on the floor next to a smashed bottle "They were..." a soft click caused Charlie to trail off. She looked behind her and swallowed heavily when she came face to face with an injured and very annoyed Grant wielding a gun.

"They're not here" he smirked despite the pain in his head "They ran off. It seemed they didn't like my um...Choice of entertainment" he glanced in Cameron's direction as he said this.

"Where are they?!" Charlie asked tightly trying as hard as she could to block out the implications of his words "Where the hell are they?!"

"I don't know" Grant shrugged as he began to back slowly out of the room "As of right now...I really don't care. I'll finish what I started with them later. It was fun while it lasted by the way. They're highly amusing to...mess with"

Charlie released a low growl as he disappeared into the hall and she chased after him quickly, shooting once. When she missed she followed him out of the house with Joey and Cameron hot on her heels. Seeing that they were following him, Grant turned and fired his gun at something past them. A loud bang filled the air and Charlie, Joey and Cameron threw themselves to the ground just as the gas canister behind them blew up.

"Fuck!" Charlie swore as they stood up from the ground and found that Grant was nowhere in sight "This is great..." she turned to Cameron and Joey who looked slightly shell-shocked "Are you two okay?"

"Fine" Joey nodded slowly as she stepped forward and placed her hand on Charlie's back "At least we know they're okay, right?"

"They're out there somewhere though" Cameron said as she moved over to them "They could be anywhere"

"We have to find them" Charlie said firmly.

---

"We have to get out of here" Summer said as they stopped in the middle of a clearing, breathing slightly heavier than before "It's dark..."

"Well I was going to say that we stay here and feed the birds" Ruby deadpanned "But that's just my idea"

"Thanks Ruby" Summer said sarcastically as she pulled away and limped forward "We're lost in the woods at night with a psycho chasing after us and for the second time in under twenty minutes you're quoting Jeepers Creepers! That makes me feel a hell of a lot better!"

"Um...At least our psycho doesn't have wings?" Ruby attempted lamely "Sorry..."

"It's okay" Summer sighed as she sunk down onto the ground "I'm just irritable. That's all. Maybe we should just stay here tonight. It seems like an okay place to stay for a while..."

"Yeah" Ruby nodded in agreement and sat down next to her "I hope they find us soon"

"Me too Rubz" Summer whispered as they lay back on the hard ground.

"Sum?" Ruby whispered after a few minutes of silence as she turned onto her side to face Summer "Summer?" when there was no response she reached out and touched her friend's arm lightly. She pulled her hand back quickly at Summer's flinch "What...What's wrong? Did I do something?"

"Sorry" Summer turned onto her side and sighed at Ruby's hurt look "I'm just thinking and...After what happened back at the house well...I don't really feel very clean right now, y'know?" she shrugged self consciously and looked away.

"Hey" Ruby said softly as she ducked her head slightly to meet the other girl's downcast eyes "Don't think like that Sum...You're fine, I promise. What he did was not your fault, got it?"

"Got it" Summer whispered breathily. Her breath hitched slightly as Ruby reached out and tucked a strand of brown hair tenderly behind her ear. She licked her lips nervously and found herself caught slightly by surprise as Ruby's gaze dropped to them "Ruby?"

"Huh?" Ruby snapped back to attention and her eyes lifted back to Summer's as a bright blush coloured her cheeks "Oh uh...Sorry. I got distracted..."

"Hmmn" Summer's nodded slowly and managed to convince herself that Ruby's intensity was due to her illness...Maybe deliriousness.

She looked up quickly as a sharp wince sounded from the teenager in question "Rubz? Are you okay?"

"No" Ruby winced trying to keep her eyes from fluttering shut "I feel really bad right now Sum..."

"It's going to be okay" Summer soothed quietly as she took Ruby's hand and squeezed it supportively "We're going to be fine..."

"I don't think I have much time left" Ruby said weakly much to Summer's alarm "It's like...I can feel myself slipping. I'm scared that if I fall asleep I'm not going to wake up..."

"No!" Summer exclaimed loudly "Don't say things like that Ruby. You're not going to DIE, okay? I won't let you...Help will be here soon. You just have to hang on" she trailed off as she choked slightly on her tears "You can't leave me Rubz...I need you!"

"I'm Sorry" Ruby apologised as she lifted a hand to Summer's cheek and wiped her tears gently "I didn't mean to upset you"

"You can't leave me" Summer whispered again as her tears continued to flow.

"I won't" Ruby responded half-heartedly as she pulled the other girl close to her side and hugged her lightly.

"You're going to be fine" Summer said quietly as she wrapped an arm tentatively around Ruby "You'll see..." despite her word she couldn't stop her tears from flowing.

"I'm sorry" Ruby repeated when Summer had finally calmed down "I shouldn't have said that"

"It's not going to happen" Summer said firmly "We're going to get out of here, okay? Everything will be fine"

"Okay" Ruby murmured in response.

They fell into silence for a few minutes.

"Hey" Ruby said suddenly as she listened closely to Summer's humming "What's that song?"

"Hmmn?" Summer asked in surprise, not even realising she had been doing it "Oh...It's 'All fall down' by one republic"

"Sing it" Ruby requested with a barely suppressed yawn as she snuggled closer to the other girl.

"What? I can't sing..."

"Please?" Ruby requested with a pout "It'll help me sleep..."

"Fine" Summer sighed useless to the look "But you can't hold this against me later, okay?" at Ruby's nod she took a deep breath and began to sing softly "... Take a breath, Take a step, Meet me down below, Everyone's the same, Our fingers to our toes ,We just can't get it right, But we're on the road, If ever your world starts crashing down, Whenever your world starts crashing down, Whenever your world starts crashing down, That's where you'll find me...Rubz?" noticing Ruby seemed to have drifted off to sleep Summer sighed and fell silent, allowing herself to close her eyes.

---

"Hmnn...Rubz?" Summer mumbled as she blinked sleepily awake. She winced slightly as she became aware of not only the pain from her hurt foot and scratched but also the pins and needles in her right arm. The same arm Ruby was currently lying on. She glanced to her right and noticed that Ruby hadn't seemed to have moved during the night "Ruby?" she reached over with her free arm and gently tried to shake the younger girl awake "Ruby?!" she became increasingly anxious when Ruby didn't stir even slightly and she tapped her cheek lightly "Ruby...Wake up!".

"Shit..." Summer muttered feeling tears building up rapidly "Come on Rubz!" she placed two fingers on Ruby's pulse point and felt a mix of relief and fear when she felt a faint thud. She tried again to wake the sleeping teen but to no avail "Damn it..." she closed her eyes against her tears and looked to the sky which was only just brightening "Hurry up Charlie...!"

_**Lost till you're found**__**  
**__**Swim till you drown**__**  
**__**Know that we all fall down**__**  
**__**Love till you hate**__**  
**__**Strong till you break**__**  
**__**Know that we all fall down**__****_

_**If ever your world starts crashing down**__**  
**__**Whenever your world starts crashing down**__**  
**__**If ever your world starts crashing down**__**  
**__**That's where you'll find...**__**  
**__**Find me**_

TBC


	66. Chapter 66

**Hey guys here's the next chapter! Thanks again for all of you reviews. I really appreciate all of your comments. Hope you like this chapter (Again...Extra long!). **

**Jaybes: I forgot to respond to your idea last chapter but I'll definitely consider the idea for Rummer. Could be like a spin off from this fic which I can write at the same time (depending on how long this fic actually is).Thanks for the suggestion :)**

Chapter 66

"It's a dead end" Charlie said as she got out of the car, closing the door with a frustrated slam "It's a bloody dead end!" she glanced at Cameron and Joey who were standing at her side "He came this way, didn't he?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded in response and looked around for the man "I still don't understand why we're following him though"

"He said that Ruby and Summer ran off" Charlie answered choosing to block out his implications of what had happened in the house "And since this is the only other way they could have gone since we would have passed them if they had gone the other way...He must be following them so we have to find them before he does"

"Um...Right" Joey nodded feeling herself growing more nervous by the second at Charlie's disturbingly calm demeanour "But it's a dead end"

"We'll walk" Charlie said glancing at Cameron who nodded her approval "They probably went through the woods when they found it was a dead end". Wasting no time she started walked forward into the relative darkness of the woods.

"Do you think we're going to find them?" Cameron asked nervously "I mean...the woods are huge. They could be anywhere"

"We'll find them" Charlie nodded firmly "We have to...Before Grant does"

"Maybe he decided to take off?" Joey offered optimistically "Maybe he isn't actually looking for them"

"I doubt it" Charlie sighed as they continued walking "He seemed pretty pissed off with them for some reason. He wouldn't just leave them alone"

They walked in silence for approximately 20 minutes before Cameron spoke up hesitantly, her voice soft "Charlie?"

"Hmmn?" Charlie hummed in distracted acknowledgement, her eyes on Joey who walked slightly ahead of them, obviously more used to long walks because of her job.

"What do you think he meant?" Cameron asked fearfully "When he said that he had been...'Messing with them'?"

Charlie swallowed hard at the question, feeling sick just thinking of the possibilities "I don't know Cam. I hope it's not what it sounds like but...thinking about what he did to us..."

"I know" Cameron nodded slowly "But he wouldn't stoop as low as to...I mean Ruby's his daughter! Biologically I mean..."

"I don't know" Charlie took a deep breath to try to calm herself "I don't really want to think about that. All we can do now is hope..."

"We have to find them quickly" Cameron noted obviously "I can't believe we wasted so much time back there..."

"Well we were almost blown to pieces" Charlie reminded her though she too was kicking herself at how long they had waited "And we had to make sure they weren't still around the house first..."

"But it's dawn" Cameron sighed heavily as she kicked at the leaves beneath their feet in frustration "Which means they've been out here all night and most of yesterday. We're running out of..."

"Time. I know" Charlie snapped "I really don't need a reminder..."

"Sorry" Cameron apologised quietly "I didn't...I mean, I'm just..."

"Scared...I know Cam" Charlie responded gently "So am I. But we will find them"

"I don't understand how you can be so calm" Cameron frowned in confusion "I'm practically near melt down here"

"I'm not calm" Charlie muttered "I'm just trying to focus on getting them back. If I think about anything else I'm going to fall apart and...I can't do that right now. There's plenty of time for that later"

"Hey" Joey called from in front of them "I think I found something..."

"What?" Charlie watched in alarm as Joey slid slowly down quite a steep hill in front of them "Joey! Are you insane? Where the hell are you going?!" despite her words she quickly followed her wife with Cameron hot at her heels "What is it?" she asked when they finally reached the bottom.

"Um..." Joey knelt down and ran her finger across the substance on the leaves before lifting her hand to inspect it "Blood"

"Shit" Charlie swore under her breath as she glanced from Joey to Cameron "That means either Grant is close or...One or both of them are bleeding"

"I don't know which is worse..." Cameron mumbled quietly.

"We need to hurry" Charlie said trying to keep her voice steady but finding that it shook anyway "We have to..."

"Is that smoke?" Joey asked looking over Charlie shoulder at the sky "It looks like smoke..." Both Charlie and Cameron turned around to look at the sky.

"It is" Charlie nodded quickly "Maybe that's them...C'mon!" with that she turned and rushed through the forest, with the other two women hot on her heels.

---

"C'mon" Summer muttered tearfully to herself as she struggled to get the pile of twigs and leaves she had gathered to light "Damn it..." she glanced hopefully over at Ruby, her expression falling immediately when she noticed that the younger girl was still in the same position. She turned back to her attempt at a fire and tilted the small fragment of broken glass in her hand towards the barely present sun "Come on!" a moment later a small spark flashed and the twigs she had gathered ignited causing her to exhale in relief. She quickly threw some more wood onto the flames to make the fire bigger before she rushed back to Ruby as fast as her injuries would allow her.

"Ruby?" she whispered as she knelt down next to the other girl "Rubz?" when no answer was forthcoming Summer closed her eyes briefly against her tears "I'm going to get us out of here. Charlie will find us soon..." she risked a glance at the fire before looking down at Ruby "And if Grant turns up...I'll protect you. I promise I won't let him near you" she paused for a moment, hoping for a response "Just hang on in there Rubz" she lowered her hand to Ruby's and stayed still for a moment before hauling herself painfully to her feet.

"That should do..." Summer muttered as she limped over to a large piece of wood and picked it up. She proceeded to hobble back over to Ruby and sat next to her on the ground "We'll be fine". She lost track of how long she sat like that, holding the piece of wood close to her but after what felt like hours a noise from her left caught her attention and she lurched to her feet, piece of wood held defensively in her hands. She felt her hands grown clammy and her breath labour as she waited for the person who made the noise to appear. She shifted awkwardly lifting her injured foot slightly off the ground. She was so sure that Grant was about to burst angrily through the bushes that it took her a couple of minutes to process as Charlie appeared instead.

"Summer!" Charlie gasped out loud as her gaze focused on the injured teen, noticing that she was bleeding and her foot appeared to be hurt with only a brief glance.

"Charlie..." Summer dropped the piece of wood to her side and limped out of the way "Ruby...She won't wake up!"

Charlie paled dramatically as her eyes dropped to her daughter "No..." she ran over to Ruby and dropping down at her side she placed two fingers on the inside of her wrist, finding only a faint beat "Ruby?!" she gently tapped the teenager's cheek as tears welled up in her eyes "RUBY WAKE UP!"

"It's her blood sugar" Summer said quietly "She hasn't eaten in days and all I had was stupid chewing gum which ran out really quickly!"

Charlie nodded though she didn't appear to be fully listening as she was too focused on Ruby "How...How long has she been like this?"

"Since this morning" Summer answered just as Cameron and Joey burst through the clearing. At the sound she lifted the piece of wood in her hands and turned to them but relaxed upon seeing who it was.

"Summer..." Cameron gasped upon seeing the state her sister was in "What..."

"Cameron" Summer coughed finally allowing the piece of wood to drop to the ground as she limped forward slightly. She stumbled but felt a pair of arms wrap around her before she could hit the floor. She revelled in the familiar comforting embrace as she allowed her tears to fall unhindered "Ruby..."

"Charlie?!" Joey asked in alarm as she slumped to the ground next to Ruby and Charlie "What's..."

"She has a pulse" Charlie stated tearfully "But it's really faint...I don't think she has long"

"Wait!" Joey gasped as her hand flew to her pocket "I have glucagon!" she pulled the small pack from her pocket and handed it quickly to Charlie "It'll bring her blood sugar back up"

Charlie stared at the package in her hand for a moment before she ripped the plastic open allowing the contents to drop gently to the ground in front of her. She grabbed the needle and removed the protective plastic from the point before she injected the liquid from the syringe into the half full bottle and swirled it around. When the mixture was finally clear she quickly pierced the film lid of the bottle again and drew the liquid into the syringe. Charlie gently moved Ruby's shirt up so her stomach was visible and pierced the skin with the needle. When all of the fluid was injected she pulled the needle out and waited with baited breath "Come on Ruby..." when nothing happened after a couple of minutes she glanced back at Joey "Nothing's happening"

"I have more of that in the car" Joey answered "She might need a double injection"

Charlie nodded and glanced over her shoulder at Cameron "Cam?" she pulled her gun from her belt and ensured the safety was on before she offered it to Cameron "Take this. If you see him..."

"Got it" Cameron nodded as she took the gun while still holding onto her unsteady sister.

Charlie turned quickly back to Ruby and gently lifted her into her arms as she stood up, suddenly thankful that the teenager was light enough to carry "We have to go"

"How does she do that...?" Joey muttered to herself as she offered her arm to support a badly limping Summer. They quickly started after Charlie who was already a good three metre's in front of them.

---

Charlie bit her lip as her foot tapped nervously on the waiting room floor her thoughts unwillingly turning to when she had last seen her dad in the hospital. She shook her head quickly trying to rid herself of the imaginary flatline that filled her ears.

"Hey" Joey said as she placed a hand on Charlie's leg to still it "She's going to be okay"

"How do you know that?" Charlie asked tearfully "She hasn't even woken up yet and Rachel won't tell us anything! That can't be a good sign..."

"Ruby's a fighter" Joey reminded her gently though she too looked terrified at the prospect of losing the teenager "She's going to get through this"

"I can't do this" Charlie whimpered as tears tracked down her cheeks "I can't lose anybody else Jo. Especially not her..."

"I know" Joey pulled Charlie gently into her arms, trying to keep her own tears at bay as the older woman sobbed quietly "She's going to be absolutely fine though. You'll see...She'll be awake in no time to complain about being in the hospital or to try to escape to see Summer..."

Charlie nodded against Joey's shoulder though she didn't feel much better "Where _are_ Cameron and Summer?"

"Summer's pretty banged up" Joey said quietly knowing that Charlie was trying to focus on anything but losing her daughter " But she wouldn't leave the waiting room so Rachel told her that she was injecting her with painkillers when she was actually sedating her. Apparently it was the only way to make her move"

Charlie couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped despite her tears "I'm sure Summer will have something to say about that when she wakes up. She's pretty terrified about this...Didn't even want to leave Ruby's side. She looked about ready to kill somebody with that piece of wood back there..."

Joey nodded slowly "I..."

"Charlie? Joey?" Rachel's voice sounded cutting Joey off.

"What is it?!" Charlie leapt to her feet with Joey at her side "Oh God Rach please don't tell me she's..."

"She's fine" Rachel interrupted quickly with a small smile "I've managed to stabilise her blood sugars and other than that she's absolutely fine...Apart from a bit of a cut on the back of her head"

Charlie expression relaxed slightly but she still appeared worried "Um...Rachel? Did you...Did you check if anything happened to her? You know..."

"No" Rachel said in response "I didn't check. I figured that we should wait until she actually wakes up to ask her"

"Oh" Charlie nodded slowly "Of course" she lowered her hand and grabbed Joey's for comfort "But...Did it seem like it?"

"I can't tell for sure" Rachel answered "Sorry Charlie..."

"It's okay" Charlie muttered as Joey squeezed her hand "Can we see her?"

"Of course" Rachel nodded "Just follow me..."

"Hey" Joey spoke up stopping Charlie from moving "I'll be there in a minute okay? I just have to go and check something first..."

"Okay" Charlie appeared confused but nodded anyway. She kissed Joey quickly before pulling her hand away "But hurry..." with that she turned and followed Rachel down the hospital corridor to Ruby's room.

"The IV's just a precaution" Rachel said as they stopped outside of the room "She's fine"

"Thanks Rachel" Charlie hugged the doctor tightly "You have no idea how much this means..."

"I think I do" Rachel said with a small smile as they pulled away "If you need me I'll be around here somewhere, okay?"

"Okay" Charlie nodded and watched Rachel walk away before she entered the room shutting the door behind her.

"Ruby?" she whispered as she sat on the chair next to the bed and took Ruby's hand tentatively in her own. She sighed sadly when there was no response but knew that was to be expected because of the drugs. She held her breath when she felt a squeeze to her hand as if Ruby knew that she needed a response but exhaled when the teenager didn't stir. She leaned forward and rested her head on her arm on the bed, falling asleep in a matter of minutes thanks to the stress of the past five days as well as being awake for seventy four hours straight.

---

"Charlie?"

"Hmmn?" Charlie mumbled sleepily at the sound of a soft voice calling her name, drawing her further from her sleep "Wha..."

"Charlie!" the voice got slightly louder.

"Huh?!" Charlie sat up straight in her chair and blinked rapidly "What? What happened?! I'm awake..." when she was finally awake enough to remember where she was her eyes widened in surprise when they landed on Ruby who was sitting up in the hospital bed "Ruby! You're awake!" she promptly stood up and threw her arms around her daughter in a light hug.

"Yeah...I am" Ruby tightened the embrace as she hugged back fully aware that Charlie was trying not to hurt her "I'm not going to break you know"

"I thought I was going to lose you" Charlie whispered as she tightened her hold "You have no idea how scared I was..."

"I'm fine" Ruby reassured her with a small smile as she pulled away "You're not going to get rid of me that easily"

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked trying to suppress her tears of relief "I mean...Do you feel okay?"

"I feel better than I have for the past few days" Ruby shrugged. Her eyes widened in alarm as she noticed something "Where's Summer?!"

"Sedated" Charlie answered.

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed "What do you mean se...?"

"She was hurt" Charlie said quietly "But Joey said she wouldn't leave the waiting room so Rachel tricked her into being injected with a sedative...Apparently she told her it was a sort of painkiller"

"Ooooh" Ruby nodded unable to stop the laugh that escaped her "She's going to be pissed when she wakes up"

"Where _is_ Joey?" Charlie frowned suddenly as she looked around "I haven't seen her since...I don't know when. I don't even know what day it is..."

"She went to get some coffee" Ruby answered "She said you were already asleep when she got here yesterday and she didn't want to wake you"

"Oh..." Charlie nodded slowly.

"Can I go and see Summer?" Ruby asked hopefully already reaching for her IV "I need to know if she's okay..."

"Whoa!" Charlie exclaimed as she grasped Ruby's hand "Remember what happened the last time you pulled that out? I'm willing to bet Rachel would be twice as pissed off if you did it again..."

"Fine" Ruby pouted as she allowed her hand to drop to her side. The fell into a brief silence before she spoke up again "I missed you...While I was away"

"I missed you too" Charlie smiled lightly her eyes glittering again with unshed tears "You have no idea how much..."

"I'm fine!" a voice from outside of the door caught their attention "Stop fussing already!"

The door swung open and Joey walked in looking slightly exasperated "Look who I found while getting coffee. Miss I'm going to limp around the hospital for an hour to find the right room"

"I wasn't limping around for an hour!" Summer exclaimed as she limped into the room with Cameron right behind her ready to catch her if she should fall "Maybe 45 minutes..."

Charlie and Ruby exchanged amused looks at the other teenager's antics.

"Hey" Summer said softly her expression turning suddenly serious as her eyes fell on Ruby "You're...Awake"

"Yeah" Ruby offered a small smile "I am" she rolled her eyes as Summer shifted nervously and blinked rapidly, obviously trying to get rid of oncoming tears "Would you just get over here already?" she opened her arms to the other girl.

"I don't wanna hurt you..." Summer said hesitantly as she hobbled over to the side of the bed.

"You won't" Ruby reassured quietly "Just...Please?" she released a breath of relief when Summer hesitated for a moment before wrapping her in a warm, tentative embrace.

"I was so scared..." Summer whispered tearfully "I thought that you..."

"Hey" Ruby said softly as they pulled from the hug and she lifted a hand to wipe Summer's falling tears away "I'm okay. I told you I wouldn't leave you...Remember?"

"I remember" Summer nodded causing unshed tears to fall "I'm just...I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything in the woods..."

"Don't apologise" Ruby cut her off gently "You saved my life. You saved me in more than just one way. I don't know what I would have done without you there...You're my hero"

"Well I don't know about that" Summer chuckled as she wiped her tears away. She glanced at Charlie, Joey and Cameron who had glanced away at the private moment. She shifted and winced as her foot hit the ground "Ouch!"

"Here" Ruby shuffled to the left and patted the bed next to her "Jump up..."

"I really shouldn't" Summer winced clearly in pain "I don't want to knock any tubes or..."

"You won't" Ruby rolled her eyes "Just do it Sum. You're in pain standing up and if you don't sit you're probably going to fall"

"Fine" Summer sighed and sat on the bed next to Ruby "But I'm only doing this because you asked me to"

"Whatever" Ruby laughed before they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Rachel is going to kill you" Ruby said suddenly as she looked down at Summer's arm.

"Why?" Summer frowned.

"You pulled your IV out" Ruby answered "I did that once. It's not a good idea..."

"It's fine" Summer shrugged "I don't even know why I had to have it..."

"Because you're dehydrated" Cameron answered with a disapproving look.

"Yeah...That" Summer said with a shrug "I feel fine though"

"What's wrong with you?" Ruby asked curiously "Is your foot broken?"

"Apparently my ankle's sprained" Summer answered "And I have 'bruises and lacerations' from my trip down the bank. It doesn't hurt that much"

"It looks like it hurts" Ruby said as she traced a scratch on Summer's arm.

Summer shrugged "They have me loaded with Drugs"

"Hey" Charlie cut in hesitantly "Um...I have to ask you both something" she glanced at Joey and Cameron who nodded for her to continue "Erm..."

"What is it?" Ruby frowned.

"When you were with..._him_" Charlie swallowed heavily silently dreading hearing a certain answer to her question "Did he do anything to either of you? I mean did he...Touch you in any way?"

"Uh..." Ruby glanced at Summer who had turned silent. This however only fuelled Charlie's already high concern.

"Did he?"

"He didn't touch me" Ruby answered softly her gaze flitting between Charlie and Summer "He threatened to but...He didn't"

"Summer?" Charlie asked as she noticed Ruby's look "Did..."

"No" Summer answered with a shake of her head "He didn't..."

"Sum" Ruby whispered in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Cameron asked worriedly noticing her sister's expression as well as the short exchange "If there's anything..."

"He didn't" Summer repeated unable to look Cameron, Charlie or even Ruby in the eye.

"We have to find him" Joey said suddenly "We've been so distracted I completely forgot that he's still out there somewhere..."

"Wait!" Ruby said in alarm finally shifting her confused gaze from Summer "He's still out there?! He isn't locked up yet?!"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded in response "He got away from us back at the house. We don't know where he is...He could be anywhere by now"

Summer and Ruby glanced at each other in worry though Ruby was still focused on the worrying idea of Summer lying about what Grant had almost done.

TBC


	67. Chapter 67

**Hey guys! Thanks for your comments on the last chapter. I was struck by a bit of writer's block and stuff but your reviews always help so...Here's the next chapter! Song is 'Wonderwall' (Cover version by Ryan Adams). I included it because I was listening to it on repeat while I was writing this chapter and felt it fit so...Yeah, you guys should really check out Ryan's cover. It's really different from the Oasis version...its great! Just discovered it tonight or well...This morning (I really have to start writing these chapters during the day instead of the middle of the night...Anyway hope you all enjoy! **

Chapter 67

_**Today is gonna be the day**__**  
**__**That they're gonna give it back to you**__**  
**__**By now you should've somehow**__**  
**__**Realized what you gotta do**__**  
**__**I don't believe that anybody**__**  
**__**Feels the way I do about you now**_

"Something's going on with them" Charlie said quietly as she walked hand in hand with Joey through the corridors of the hospital "There's something they're not telling us"

"Who?" Joey frowned, her mind having been focused on other things.

"Ruby and Summer" Charlie rolled her eyes at Joey's lack of concentration "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah...Sorry" Joey apologised as they stopped next to the coffee vending machine "I was kind of distracted...So why do you think something's wrong with them?"

"You haven't noticed?" Charlie seemed shocked at the statement. She inserted money into the machine and pressed a couple of buttons before looking back at Joey "They're hiding something from us."

"Like what?" Joey asked cluelessly "They said they've told us everything they know"

"About what happened to them back at that house" Charlie answered "They're keeping something from us"

"Maybe you're being a little bit paranoid" Joey offered hesitantly as she handed Charlie her cup of coffee "I mean it's understandable...That you want proof that he didn't actually do anything to them. I feel exactly the same way"

"I'm not paranoid" Charlie sighed and moved to sit in the waiting room chair. She looked up at Joey thoughtfully "It's not even Ruby. It's Summer"

"Summer?" Joey echoed blankly in response "What do you mean?"

"I don't think she's telling us everything" Charlie shrugged "Ruby keeps giving her these _looks_. Like she's worried about her and then when I ask her about it she looks like she wants to say something but she can't"

"She can't?" Joey questioned sceptically "Why not?"

"Because she thinks that by saying something she's betraying Summer's trust in her!" Charlie persisted "I'm not paranoid or crazy Joey! You have to believe me...I'm not making this up!"

"Okay...Okay" Joey took a deep breath and sat next to Charlie, placing a comforting hand on her knee "It's okay...I believe you"

"Really?" Charlie looked into Joey's eyes searching for truth "Or are you just saying that so I don't get upset?"

"No" Joey smiled lightly at her wife "I trust you. I trust your judgement especially about things like this. You are the hotshot cop after all, right?"

"Right" Charlie chuckled at Joey's attempt to make her feel better "If you think so"

"I know so" Joey grinned "So run me through this again...Why do we think that Summer's hiding something about what happened at the house?"

"We'll talk and walk" Charlie said as they stood up. She grabbed Joey's hand lightly as they began walking "What she said just doesn't add up. She said that they escaped because she hit him, right?"

"Right" Joey nodded uncertainly "And?"

"With a bottle" Charlie continued "Why would he give her something that could be used as a potential weapon and how the hell did she get close enough to hit him before he realised she was going to?"

"Um...I don't know" Joey frowned "Maybe he wasn't watching them"

"Is that likely though?" Charlie countered as they approached the door to the room which was slightly ajar "I don't think that something he would do. Especially when she had a weapon in her hands"

"I don't..." Joey started to say before she was shushed by Charlie just as they reached the slightly open door.

"I don't understand why you're doing this" Ruby's hushed voice sounded from inside the room "You need to tell them what happened. You have to tell _Cameron_!"

"No I don't!" Summer exclaimed sharply "Nobody needs to know...Especially Cam"

Charlie and Joey exchanged confused glances at the conversation.

"Believe me now?" Charlie whispered.

"She's your sister!" Ruby argued "She has a right to know what happened!"

"Nothing happened Rubz" Summer sighed disdainfully "He didn't have time..."

"But he almost did" Ruby reminded quietly, a hint of guilt in her voice "And it's my fault that it almost happened. If you hadn't been trying to protect me..."

"This isn't right" Joey whispered suddenly her gaze disapproving "We really shouldn't be eavesdropping on their private conversation"

"Shhh!" Charlie shushed her quietly "We're not eavesdropping. We just..."

"Happen to be hanging around in the doorway listening to their conversation?" Joey offered sceptically "I think that counts as eavesdropping Charlie!"

"Wait..." Charlie said suddenly "Why have they stopped talking?" she backed away slightly from the door tugging Joey with her "Do you think they heard us?"

"Hey!" a voice exclaimed from behind them causing them to jump in surprise and spin around. They breathed a sigh of relief when they came face to face with a grinning Rachel.

"Hey Rach" Charlie smiled trying to look as innocent as possible "How...How's it going?"

"Fine" Rachel smirked in amusement as she watched them shift uncomfortably under her gaze "What about you two? What's with the incredibly guilty looks?"

"We didn't do anything" Joey blurted out "We...Um..."

"Are the worst liars ever" the doctor chuckled "Is there any particular reason you're standing outside of Ruby's room looking completely shifty?"

"No...Not really" Charlie shook her head "We're just...It's nothing"

"Right" Rachel shook her head disbelievingly "Well are you going to go in or stand outside all day? Because I need to talk to you before Ruby is discharged"

"Um...Yeah. Of course" Charlie blushed slightly before she turned around with Joey and followed Rachel into the hospital room.

"So are you ready to be released?" Rachel asked brightly despite Ruby and Summer's similarly sombre expressions.

Ruby's expression immediately brightened "Hell Yeah! Can I go now?!"

"Not yet" Rachel said causing Ruby's expression to drop again in disappointment "I have to talk to you for a minute first"

"Oh...Okay" Ruby nodded though she didn't look happy about it.

"Don't worry. It won't take long" Rachel smiled reassuringly "All you need to know is that you have to contact me immediately if you start to feel ill. If you experience headaches, nausea, muscle pain, lack of appetite...Anything like that" Ruby nodded and Rachel continued "I've already given Charlie your meds so you're about free to go"

"At last" Ruby sighed in relief "Thanks Rachel"

Rachel nodded and glanced at Summer who looked slightly happier at the news that Ruby was free to go but was still appeared slightly down "How are you feeling Summer?"

"I'm fine" Summer shrugged.

"Honestly" Rachel stated with a small smirk.

"It hurts a bit" Summer smiled with a sheepish shrug "It's not too bad though. It's getting better. Just cuts and bruises"

"Yeah, right" Ruby mumbled under her breath gaining herself a look from Summer "What?"

"Anyway" Rachel said as she began to walk towards the doorway "You're all free to go now, okay?"

"Thanks Rachel" Charlie smiled at their doctor and friend.

"No problem" Rachel offered a half smile and reached out to place a hand lightly on Charlie's arm "Just...Be careful, okay Charlie?"

"Okay" Charlie whispered in response as she watched Rachel walk away before she turned back to Ruby and Summer who were still locked in their stare "Who's ready to go home?"

"We'll talk at home" Ruby said to Summer just loud enough for Charlie and Joey to catch. They shared confused glances as Ruby got up from the bed.

"I'll talk to Ruby" Charlie said in a whisper "Will you...?"

"Sure" Joey said with a smile. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie lips before pulling back and glancing at Summer "Hey Summer will you...Give me a hand with something?" she tilted her head in the direction of the door.

"Sure" Summer nodded as she got up and limped in Joey's direction "I don't know how much use I'm going to be like this though..."

Charlie watched as Joey and Summer walked out of the door before she looked back at Ruby "So...What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Ruby was slightly surprised at Charlie's blunt question as she pulled her shoes on "What do you mean?"

"With you and Summer" Charlie said as Ruby stood up from the bed "There's something that you're hiding. Or at least Summer is"

"Um..." Ruby swallowed nervously "Why do you think we're hiding something"

"I can tell" Charlie stated "If it has anything to do with Grant and what he did back at the house I need you to tell me Rubz"

"I wish I could" Ruby said her expression pained "But Summer...She trusts me and I can't betray her trust"

"So there is something wrong?" Charlie muttered feeling her heart plummet in her chest. Up until now she had been hanging onto the unlikely hope that she was wrong but Ruby's statement enforced the fact that there was something very wrong.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you" Ruby murmured apologetically as she stepped closer to Charlie "It's really not my place"

"I understand" Charlie said quietly "Just...Will you try to get her to talk to me? Or Cameron?"

"That's what I've been trying to do" Ruby said sadly "She's not listening to me...I'll keep trying"

"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled lightly and hugged her daughter quickly "Come on...Let's go home" she took Ruby's hand and they walked out of the room together.

"So..." she said quietly as she glanced at the younger girl "You and Summer got pretty close while you were away?"

"Um...Yeah" Ruby nodded thoughtfully.

"I mean she's hardly left your side since she woke up"

"Yeah" Ruby smiled lightly "I guess it's because we had to stick together when we were with him. Seriously Charlie...You have no idea what she did for me back there. I don't know what I would have done without her there. I don't know what _Grant_ would have..." she visibly shuddered at the thought a felling of sadness passing over her at what he _had_ done.

"I'll have to thank her sometime" Charlie said sincerely as she squeezed Ruby's hand sensing her sadness.

---

"Would you stop fussing?!" Ruby exclaimed with a hint of amusement as she entered the house with Summer hovering nervously at her side "I'm fine...You're the one who can't walk so technically I should be helping _you_ through the door"

"Sorry" Summer smiled sheepishly "Habit"

"Come on" Ruby took Summer's hand and tugged her lightly towards the stairs "We need to talk...Or not talk. Whatever you feel like"

"But what about..."

"They'll be fine" Ruby assured her as they walked up the stairs with a little bit of difficulty from Summer's injuries.

"Well..." Charlie said as she entered the house and watched Ruby and Summer disappear up the stairs "I guess Ruby's still trying" she turned to Joey questioningly "Did you get anything out of Summer?"

"Nope" Joey shook her head "There's definitely something wrong with her though. I can't believe I didn't notice it before..."

"What do you think it is?" Charlie asked quietly as they moved into the living room and slumped onto the couch "Ruby said that she couldn't tell me because she can't betray Summer's trust so it must be something big. Maybe about what happened to her at the house?"

"But then why wouldn't she want to tell us about it?" Joey asked in confusion "I don't understand why she would feel the need to keep it to herself"

"Neither do I" Charlie sighed as she shuffled closer to Joey and wrapped her arms around her waist.

Joey wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders in response and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead "Hey" she said suddenly as she realised something "Where's Cam?"

"She's at the station" Charlie murmured quietly "She's having issues with Summer apparently"

"Maybe that's linked to whatever's wrong with Summer" Joey said hopefully "Wait...Did you say she's out alone when Grant's still out there? I'm going to kill her..."

"Georgie said she would keep an eye on her and drive her home" Charlie said quietly "She'll be fine"

"I'm sure she'll keep more than an eye on her" Joey smirked mischievously "I swear she's head over heels"

"Really?" Charlie asked "I thought they'd only been on one date?"

"That's all it can take" Joey shrugged "I mean I knew I was in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you"

"Really?" Charlie blushed slightly as Joey nodded "You're such a sweet talker Collins"

"I know" Joey beamed "but you love me for it"

"That..." Charlie leaned forward and kissed Joey softly before pulling back slightly "I do" she quickly recaptured Joey's lips with her own in a deeper kiss.

---

"Sit" Ruby instructed with a soft smile as she pushed Summer gently down onto her bed "I know you're foot's hurting you"

"How did you..."

"I can just tell" Ruby shrugged as she hurriedly moved over to her I-pod and pressed play causing Music to sound through the speakers "Great...Now they probably won't hear us" She sighed softly to herself as she bounced over to the bed and plopped down next to Summer.

"You seem better" Summer observed with a smile "That's good"

"I am" Ruby nodded. She watched thoughtfully as Summer winced and shifted position "Are you okay?"

"Just a little bit of pain" Summer sighed as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed "It's not that bad..."

"It looks like it hurts" Ruby mumbled as she trailed a finger gently across a still healing scratch on Summer's arm.

"It's okay" Summer smiled lightly. They both fell into a comfortable silence after a moment, the only sound being the music that flowed from Ruby's I-Pod"

_**Backbeat the word is on the street**__**  
**__**That the fire in your heart is out**__**  
**__**I'm sure you've heard it all before**__**  
**__**But you never really had a doubt**__**  
**__**I don't believe that anybody feels**__**  
**__**The way I do about you now**_

"I don't know your last name" Ruby said suddenly as she turned slightly to look up at Summer.

"You don't?" Summer asked.

"No" Ruby shook her head "What is it?"

"I don't think you'll believe me if I told you" Summer smiled.

"Why?" Ruby asked curiously "What is it?"

"My last name is...Woods" Summer answered seriously.

"Really?" Ruby laughed wholeheartedly for the first time in days "That's really ironic considering..." she trailed off and Summer nodded with a grin.

"Yeah..." she switched her position slightly and looked down at Ruby sincerely "Rubz?"

"Mmmhm?" Ruby hummed in response as she closed her eyes.

"Um..." Summer lay back on the bed and turned slightly so she was level with Ruby "About what you said at the hospital..." she paused for a moment but when Ruby merely nodded she continued "I don't blame you for what happened and...You shouldn't blame yourself either, okay? I chose to do what I did...Nobody forced me to"

"Okay" Ruby whispered as she nodded slowly "But I still don't understand why you won't tell anyone about what he di...Almost did"

"I don't see the point" Summer shrugged sadly "And...I don't want Cameron to know. She'll only get upset. There's no point"

"There's something wrong with you two" Ruby said observantly "That other secret you're keeping...From me too"

"Do you really want to know?" Summer asked quietly.

"If you want to tell me you know I'll listen" Ruby answered as she moved her hand to rest comfortingly on Summer's "But if you don't want to...Or you don't feel like you can..."

_**And all the roads we have to walk are winding**__**  
**__**And all the lights that lead the way are blinding**__**  
**__**There are many things that I would**__**  
**__**Like to say to you**__**  
**__**But I don't know how**_

"Cameron was engaged to a girl called Marissa" Summer said in a hushed voice cutting Ruby off "She loved her more than life itself. I mean everybody love Marissa because she was just the most lovable person you could meet..." she smiled tearfully to herself at the memory "But...She died. The doctors said it was a cerebral Haemorrhage or something and Cameron lost it. She started drinking every night and some of the day too, she didn't talk to me, Didn't listen to me...hell she wouldn't even look at me most of the time. She spent most of her time at Random bars" Summer sniffled slightly before she tentatively turned her hand over and grasped Ruby's "Then one night we had a big blow up and I was really furious at her. I was upset to begin with because of Marissa and all and...Cameron left to go to one of her sleazy bars leaving me in the house by myself. I don't know why but I grabbed a couple of bottle of JD and locked myself in my room...Drank until I passed out. The next morning when I finally dragged myself out of my room I found Cameron all beat up" she closed her eyes for a moment causing tears to fall silently "If I hadn't been so petty, If I hadn't got drunk...I could have done something. I could have stopped what happened to her!"

"Summer" Ruby shuffled closer and hugged Summer tightly to her "There's nothing you could have done...It's not your fault"

"It is!" Summer protested weakly through her soft sobs "I could have done something. I _should_ have done something to help her. I shouldn't have been so pathetic"

"You were hurting" Ruby said softly "That's not pathetic. It's human" they fell into a small silence apart from Summer's occasional shudders and sobs.

"I'm sorry" Summer mumbled as she began to pull away from Ruby's embrace "I..."

"Why do you always apologise?" Ruby responded quietly as she pulled Summer gently back to her "It's okay"

"I guess I don't like being so weak around other people" Summer sniffled lightly as she looked up at Ruby "But...With you it doesn't feel as bad. It feels okay"

"Good" Ruby smiled softly.

"I don't want Cameron to feel guilty for what almost happened" Summer admitted suddenly "Because I know she will. She'll blame herself"

"You have to tell someone" Ruby said quietly "Will you try? If you don't want to tell Cameron you can tell Charlie..."

"I'll try" Summer sighed at Ruby's persistence "Ruby?"

"Yeah?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Thanks for this" Summer mumbled as she gestured towards their embrace "It means a lot to me that you'll listen...Not many people do"

"Of course" Ruby smiled sincerely in response as she wiped a stray tear from Summer's cheek "I'll always listen"

_**I said maybe, **__**  
**__**You're gonna be the one that saves me**__**  
**__**And after all**__**  
**__**You're my wonderwall**__**  
**_

---

"What was that?" Joey gasped as she pulled away from the kiss and glanced behind Charlie towards the doorway.

"I don't know" Charlie mumbled "Probably just Ruby and Summer..." she sighed heavily and stood up "I should check" she walked to where the noise had come from with Joey right behind her. She stopped short when she noticed a letter on the floor bearing her name and bent to pick it up. She opened it hesitantly and her breath caught in her throat as she read the single sentence.

Charlie,

I'll be back (Tell Summer I said we should give it another go),

G

"Shit..." Charlie muttered under her breath. She pulled the door open and stepped outside looking frantically around for any sign of him but found none.

"What do you think he meant?" Joey asked nervously "Give what another go?"

"I don't know" Charlie muttered horrified at the implication "I really don't know Joey..."

_**Today was gonna be the day**__**  
**__**But they'll never bring it back to you**__**  
**__**By now you should've somehow**__**  
**__**Realized what you've gotta do**__**  
**__**I don't believe that anybody**__**  
**__**Feels the way I do**__**  
**__**About you now**__****_

_**And all the roads we have to walk are winding**__**  
**__**And all the lights that lead the way are blinding**__**  
**__**There are many things that I would like to say to you**__**  
**__**But I don't know how**_

TBC


	68. Chapter 68

**Hey guys thanks for all of your reviews! I really appreciate them. Sorry for the lack of CJ lately but there should be another storyline based on them after this one's finished (That is you don't think this story is getting boring and repetitive because of its length. I really didn't expect to be writing this many chapters. I was planning on 15 at the most lol. This is by far the longest fic I've ever written so I'm not sure if it's getting a bit...Repetitive?). Anyway hope you all enjoy this chapter. **

Chapter 68

"I don't know what to say to her" Charlie admitted as she sipped tentatively at her coffee "I don't know how to ask her if what he's suggesting actually happened"

"Just ask her" Joey advised quietly "There's really no easy way to ask somebody a question like this so..."

"What am I supposed to say though?" Charlie asked nervously "Hey Summer when you were away did Grant by any chance...I don't even know how to say it!"

"Aren't you meant to be used to this?" Joey asked "I mean when I was raped you didn't seem to have a problem asking the hard questions"

"I know" Charlie sighed miserably "But back then I hardly knew you whereas now I'm emotionally attached..."

"And because you're emotionally attached to all of us including Summer it's hard for you to ask those questions" Joey muttered in realisation "Of course...I should have known that" she moved closer to Charlie and wrapped her arms around her waist "I'm sorry..."

Charlie released a heavy breath and leaned back into Joey's embrace "I wish I could just ask her and get it over with but...I don't think I'm going to like the answer"

"What did Cameron say?" Joey asked quietly "About the note, I mean?"

"Um...I didn't show her it" Charlie responded hesitantly.

"What?!" Joey exclaimed as she pulled away "what do you mean?!"

"I know I should have" Charlie said as she turned around "I just didn't want to upset her if I don't have to...Grant could be making all of this up"

"You mean you hope he's making it all up" Joey remarked.

"Don't you?" Charlie countered "Can you honestly even tolerate the fact that Summer might have been _raped_, Joey? Because I can't stand the idea..."

"Wouldn't Summer have said something though?" Joey asked "Or...Ruby would have! If this secret was that serious Ruby would never keep it from you"

"That's my point" Charlie said "I don't want to upset Cameron unless we _know_ that something's happened. Which means I'm going to have to ask Summer first..."

"Ask Summer what?" Summer herself asked as she walked into the room with Ruby right behind her.

"Um...Nothing" Charlie stated wide eyed "It...It doesn't matter"

"Right" Summer nodded slowly, though she still appeared confused.

"Charlie!" Joey whispered as she nudged her wife lightly.

"What?" Charlie asked turning her gaze to Joey.

"_Just ask her_" Joey mouthed silently.

"What's up with you two?" Ruby asked as she observed their exchange "You both seem weird..."

"Nothing" Charlie answered "Summer? I have to ask you something...About Grant"

"Oh..." Summer's eyes widened in alarm "I was just heading out...To my place. I need to pick some stuff up"

"You do?" Ruby asked in surprise.

"What about Grant?" Charlie asked in concern "I think we should stay here..."

"What about Cameron?" Summer pouted "She's never in. She practically lives at work!" at Charlie's wavering look she looked at Ruby for help.

"I'll go with her" Ruby offered reluctantly "And we'll stick to crowds"

"Yeah" Summer nodded in agreement "Pleeeasse can I go?"

"Fine" Charlie sighed "But be careful..."

"Thanks!" Summer called before she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her out of the room.

"See?!" Charlie exclaimed as she motioned to the door and glanced at Joey "I have no idea what to say to her..."

"And she's avoiding you" Joey muttered sarcastically "That's great"

---

"So you're not going to tell her than?" Ruby asked breaking the silence that had engulfed them as they walked (Or in Summer's case limped) down the beach.

"It didn't feel like the right time" Summer sighed "And it's not exactly an easy thing to tell somebody you know..."

"I know...I'm sorry" Ruby reached out and grabbed Summer's hand bringing them both to a stop "I'm just worried...That's all"

"I know you are" Summer smiled lightly "And that means a lot to me Rubz...But it doesn't feel like the right time yet..."

"Will it ever feel like the right time?" Ruby questioned gently.

"Probably not" Summer mumbled quietly "It's just...I don't really want them to know"

"You have to tell somebody" Ruby said quietly as she squeezed Summer's hand "It's important"

"I'll tell her" Summer relented reluctantly "Just...Not right now okay?"

"Fine" Ruby sighed as they continued walking "But...promise me you'll tell someone?"

"I promise" Summer said sincerely "I'll tell her later"

"I thought we were going to your place" Ruby frowned suddenly "But we're walking in the opposite direction"

"That was just an excuse to get away from Charlie's questions" Summer chuckled lightly "Do you seriously think I would be walking anywhere like this if I had a choice?"

"We should stop" Ruby said as she stopped, again causing Summer to stop with her due to their still joined hands "Or you're going to hurt yourself"

Summer nodded and sat down on the sand with Ruby next to her "This is going to be an awkward conversation to say the least..."

"You'll be fine" Ruby said comfortingly as nudged Summer lightly mindful of her cuts and bruises "It's only Charlie..."

Summer nodded and they fell into a short silence.

"I miss the rain" Summer complained suddenly "And snow, wind...I miss cold in general"

"What?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"I used to live in England, remember?" Summer smiled as she looked over at Ruby "Where it rained and snowed a lot...This is way too hot for me"

"You're weird" Ruby laughed at Summer's statement "And random..."

"Thanks!" Summer grinned.

"Weirdo..." Ruby chuckled.

"Hypocrite" Summer countered teasingly.

"Whatever" Ruby pouted "You know you love my weirdness"

"If you say so..." Summer rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Are you saying you don't?" Ruby asked in mock surprise.

"No Ruby...I love your massive amount of weirdness"

"Better" Ruby laughed as she lay back on the sand, looking up at the sky. They fell into a small silence for a moment before she broke it "You do that a lot"

"Do what a lot?" Summer asked as she looked down at the other teenager. She shifted slightly so she was lying on her side next to her.

"You hum random songs without realising you're doing it" Ruby said with a warm smile "It's cute"

"Cute?" Summer narrowed her eyes at Ruby in a mock glare "I am not cute Buckton"

"Yes...You are" Ruby giggled as she reached out an tapped Summer's nose playfully "You might as well admit it"

"Never" Summer grinned.

"The woods..." Ruby said suddenly, her gaze turning thoughtful "You were humming in the woods too...I completely forgot until now"

"Yeah" Summer laughed softly "And then you made me sing which I absolutely can't do"

"You _can_ sing" Ruby disagreed "I don't know why you think you can't. You're actually really good"

"Well..." Summer shrugged modestly "If you tell anyone..."

"You know..." Ruby said innocently though a mischievous smile tugged at her lips "Your glare kind of reminds me of when a Bunny Rabbit bares it's teeth. Not really intimidating just..."

"Don't say it..."

"Cuuuute!" Ruby gushed playfully.

"If I wasn't incapable of moving right now..." Summer sighed wistfully.

Ruby grinned at Summer's statement "You wouldn't hurt me anyway...You like me too much. So what were you humming? Am I lucky enough to get you to sing it today?"

"You really want me to?" Summer grinned.

"Yeah"

Summer cleared her throat before she began to sing "...There is nothing I need except the function to breathe, But I'm not really fussed, Doesn't matter to Meeee...."

"Oh My God..." Ruby chuckled "On second thoughts..."

"Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, and Do ya Do ya, D ya, Do ya know what you're doing, doing to me, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ru..."

"Okay!" Ruby held up a hand and managed to speak through her laughter "You can stop now!"

"Told you I couldn't sing" Summer laughed as she lay back down next to the younger girl.

"Did I say that?" Ruby questioned with a grin as her hand dropped back to Summer's between them "Because I don't think I did..."

Summer sighed contentedly as they fell into a comfortable silence happy for the distraction from Grant and admittances.

---

Charlie stirred in her sleep and blinked fuzzily unsure as to why she had woken up. At the sound of a short clatter she shot up in bed and held her breath apprehensively. She glanced quickly at Joey to see she was asleep before she climbed out of bed. She quickly grabbed her gun from the bedside table and walked slowly out of the bedroom. Another noise from downstairs caused her to raise the gun in front of her as she crept slowly down them. Noticing the kitchen light was on she walked in and came face to face with...

"Summer!" Charlie exclaimed, relaxing slightly "What are you doing?"

Summer whirled around at the mention of her name. Her eyes fell on the gun and she raised her hands in the universal sign of surrender "Charlie! I thought you were sleeping or something" she eyed the gun warily "Could you put that down?"

"Oh...Sorry" Charlie smiled sheepishly as she lowered the gun to her side "I heard a noise and woke up. I guess I panicked and jumped to the conclusion that Grant had broken in"

"Sorry" Summer muttered guiltily her eyes dropping to the ground at the sound of his name.

"So why are you awake?" Charlie asked as she put the gun on the table and stepped closer to Summer "It's like..." she glanced at the clock before looking back at the girl in front of her "4am"

"I couldn't sleep" Summer said softly "I guess my head's too full or something. I can't stop thinking enough to actually relax"

"What are you thinking about?" Charlie questioned as she watched Summer closely "About what happened at the house?"

"What do you mean?" Summer looked up sharply "I told you nothing happened at the house"

"Yeah...you did" Charlie nodded in response, her gaze focusing on Summer's forearm "So how did you get that bruise? It kind of looks like a handprint"

"Um...I don't remember" Summer shifted uncomfortably.

"Look Summer..." Charlie sighed at the younger girl's reluctance to talk about what happened "I'm going to ask you something and I _need_ you to answer me honestly okay? It's important..."

"But..."

"When you were at the house with Grant..." Charlie cut off Summer's protest "I need to know...Did he do anything to you? Did he touch you in any way because right now with everything he's saying and everything you're not saying it seems like he did...But you don't want anybody to know"

"Fine" Summer released a nervous breath and shifted uncomfortably "I'll tell you"

"Okay..." Charlie nodded apprehensively "Let's go" she offered her arm to assist Summer out of the kitchen and led her into the living room.

"Before I do this..." Summer murmured as she fidgeted nervously with the bracelet around her wrist after they had sat on the couch "You have to promise me something"

"What is it?" Charlie asked quietly.

"You have to promise me that you won't tell Cam about this" Summer said as she finally looked up into Charlie's eyes "I don't want her to know"

"I can't do that" Charlie responded instantly "If this is something big I can't _not_ tell Cameron. She's your sister. She deserves to know"

"She can't know!" Summer argued insistently "If she finds out do you have any idea how she's going to feel?!"

"Do you?" Charlie countered without thinking. She internally cursed herself when Summer fell silent and her expression saddened "I'm sorry Summer. I didn't mean it like that...Of course you know...I'm sorry"

"I know more than you think I would" Summer mumbled quietly "I know exactly how she would feel if she finds out..." when she noticed Charlie's questioning look she quickly continued "So will you promise?"

"I can't" Charlie sighed helplessly "I don't want to lie to you and say that I won't tell her but... I can't lie to her either. You have to understand Summer. If anything were to happen to Ruby and somebody didn't tell me I'd be furious" when Summer remained quiet Charlie spoke up again "How about we come to a compromise? Is this isn't serious we don't tell her but if it is...You tell her yourself"

"That's meant to be a compromise?" Summer frowned "That means I'll have to tell her anyway"

"Summer..."

"Fine" Summer rolled her eyes "I'm going to tell you..."

"Right" Charlie nodded and focused intently on the teenager waiting for her to start speaking. However no answer was forthcoming and Summer merely looked at her at a loss for words "Summer?"

"What? Oh..." Summer bit her lip nervously "This is awkward"

"Just tell me what happened" Charlie suggested softly as she placed her hand comfortingly on Summer's "I'm not going to judge you or anything. I swear"

"Okay..." Summer closed her eyes briefly for a moment trying to sum up the courage to speak "The first time he said he was bored or something so he kind of pinned me to a wall and..." she coughed awkwardly and flushed crimson.

"its okay" Charlie murmured comfortingly "I'm a cop remember? I hear this kind of stuff all of the time..." despite her statement she was livid that Grant had touched somebody else she cared about.

"He was touching me and...I was struggling" Summer admitted softly "But then he whispered something and I stopped fighting him?"

"You stopped fighting him?" Charlie asked in shock "What...what did he say to you?"

"Um..." Summer hesitated for a moment knowing that Charlie was going to be furious at Grant for even suggesting that he would go anywhere near Ruby "He said something like Since he doesn't think of Ruby as his biological daughter I should stop struggling in case he decided to do the same thing to her. He said something like she's weaker so..." she trailed off as Charlie inhaled deeply "Charlie?"

"He told you that he was thinking about..." Charlie trailed off looking livid and sickened at the same time "I mean...Ruby?"

Summer nodded slowly "He didn't though...I did what he said. I stopped struggling"

"Wait a minute" Charlie's anger faded slightly and she looked at Summer in amazement "You...you were going to sacrifice yourself to keep him away from Ruby?"

"Well...Yeah" Summer answered with a small shrug "I would have done anything to keep him away from her...To make sure that he didn't touch her. I mean you know Ruby is...I mean you know she hasn't..."

"Uh-huh" Charlie nodded shortly still surprised at Summer's adamant protectiveness "I know that"

"I didn't want that to happen to her" Summer stated strongly "For him to take anything from her"

"Wow..." Charlie murmured quietly "That's...Wow. So you decided to stay quiet because Ruby hasn't and you...Have?"

"What makes you think I have?" Summer chuckled thankful for the break in conversation "Are you suggesting something?"

"Oh...No" Charlie responded, alarmed "I just assumed that..."

"Well I haven't" Summer shrugged "But it made no difference to me".

"Oh" Charlie frowned "So...Wait, what happened? He didn't..."

"He didn't get that far" Summer spoke quietly "Ruby yelled at me for not fighting him and sort of...Shoved him off me. I think he was so surprised that he just walked out...But after that there was a kind of deal between me and him...I give in willingly and he wouldn't touch Ruby"

"Did Ruby know about this?" Charlie frowned thoughtfully "I can't imagine her being happy with the idea that you were just giving in..."

"She did and she wasn't" Summer answered "She said that we should fight him. The next time he came in he had been drinking. He ordered me to get up or something but Ruby wouldn't let me go..."

"so what happened?" Charlie pressed in concern.

"He got pissed and started to walk over to us" Summer replied "He pulled me away from her and I made a stupid comment" she thought intently for a moment "I think I called him a psycho because he had more of less yanked my arm out of its socket" she motioned quickly to the hand print on her arm "Anyway he said that because of that he was going to make her watch. He started touching me again and I didn't fight back until I noticed the beer bottle in his hand...I asked if I could borrow it and he just gave it to me..." she laughed lightly and shook her head "Idiot...I waited until he had gone back to what he was doing and then I hit him on the head. Knocked him out"

"And that's when you and Ruby escaped?" Charlie asked hopefully "He didn't actually get to go any further..."

"No" Summer shook her head "He didn't get that far". She was caught by surprise a moment later when Charlie threw her arms around her in a tight hug but returned it nevertheless.

"I'm glad he didn't" Charlie murmured quietly before she pulled away "And...It really means a lot to me that you were trying to protect Ruby but..."

"Are you going to tell me I should have fought?" Summer questioned "Because Ruby already told me after the first time..."

"Thank you for looking after her" Charlie smiled gratefully at Summer "If you hadn't been with her she might have...I don't know what I would do if I lost her"

"Yeah well..." Summer shrugged modestly "That makes two of us..."

"You really care about her..." Charlie observed with a warm smile.

"Of course I do" Summer said as she looked away nervously "She's like...My best friend. I care about her a lot"

"Hmmn..." Charlie nodded thoughtfully.

"So what are you going to do about Grant?" Summer asked apprehensively in an attempt to change the subject "When you find him?"

"I'm going to kill him" Charlie answered simply, anger sparking again in her eyes "If he thinks he can just get away with what he did..."

"Not literally though, right?" Summer asked nervously "Because that's kind of illegal and you'd end up in prison..."

"No" Charlie shook her head "Probably not literally unless I had to. In which case I wouldn't go to prison..."

"Um..." Summer frowned still looking worried at Charlie's statement "Right"

"Don't worry" Charlie said reassuringly as she squeezed Summer's hand "It'll be fine"

"Okay..." Summer nodded and stood up from the couch "I'm going to head back up then...Ruby's probably still asleep so..."

"Summer?" Charlie stopped Summer from leaving.

"Yeah?"

"Tell Cameron" Charlie suggested quietly "It helps if you're honest with her"

Summer sighed but nodded anyway "I'll try...'Night"

"Night" Charlie responded as she watched Summer leave the room. A moment later she released an aggravated breath and clenched her hands into fists at her sides her mind involuntarily thinking back to what Grant had done as well as what he suggested he was going to do "I swear to God you're going to pay Grant..."

TBC


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

"Charlie?" Joey questioned as she watched her wife staring vacantly into space, sitting at the kitchen table. When there was no response she waved her hand in front of Charlie's eyes "Chaaarlie?"

"Huh?" Charlie jumped slightly in surprise though she finally managed to focus on Joey "What?"

"Are you okay?" Joey asked in concern "You've been kind of spaced out all day"

"Sorry" Charlie sighed heavily in frustration and ran a hand through her dark hair "I'm just distracted...Over thinking probably"

"What are you thinking about?" Joey tentatively reached out and placed her hand atop Charlie's "Ruby?"

"I don't know...Kind of" Charlie shrugged bewildered at her own jumbled thoughts "I just can't stop thinking about _him_. About what he could be doing or what he could be planning" she gestured to the small note bearing Grant's handwriting which lay on the table in front of her "This doesn't make any sense. I can't figure out what he's going to do"

"Um..."

"I should have some idea about what his next move will be!" Charlie stated as she pulled away and grabbed the note, scrutinising it closely "But there's nothing to suggest what he's going to do next"

"Doesn't the note say something about Summer?" Joey asked carefully "So wouldn't it be reasonable to say that she's his focus for some reason?"

"It seems like it" Charlie answered, squinting closely at the note as if looking for something she had missed "But I don't know...I think he's trying to distract us from what he's really planning"

Joey nodded slowly "Bu we can't know that for sure so..."

"So we're absolutely lost" Charlie sighed, allowing the note to drop from her fingertips onto the table again. She stood up and glared darkly at it "I should have shot the bastard when I had the chance..."

Joey's eyes widened in shock at the uncharacteristic venom audible in Charlie's voice "Uh..."

"This would all be over!" Charlie insisted as she motioned around them "We wouldn't be practically living in knifes edge if I hadn't _missed_! I wouldn't be going over and over what he did in my head! I wouldn't be focusing on..."

"What he could have done?" Joey suggested gently as she stepped around the table and placed her hand comfortingly on Charlie's forearm "What Summer said he was thinking about doing?"

"I should be able to do something" Charlie murmured tightly as she lowered her rapidly filling eyes to the ground "I should be able to protect them!"

"Charlie..." Joey's voice came out as a sad whisper.

"I shouldn't have let him take them in the first place!" Charlie exclaimed self deprecation obvious in her voice as she pulled away from Joey's touch and began to pace "I shouldn't have let him touch Summer and I definitely shouldn't have let him escape knowing what he did to Ruby..."

"It's not your fault..." Joey attempted to reassure before being cut off.

"What kind of mother am I?!" Charlie exclaimed tearfully "I can't even protect my own daughter from him. Maybe Dad was right about me. Maybe I am useless at..."

"Hey!" Joey exclaimed firmly as she grabbed Charlie's arms to stop her pacing "Stop that. There was nothing you could do to stop what happened Charlie. There was nothing anybody could do. That doesn't make you a bad mother. Not at all"

"I could have stopped her fro..."

"No" Joey interrupted surely "You couldn't have. You couldn't have stopped her from going out that night because to her it was something she _needed_ to do. You wouldn't have had a reason to stop her either because you couldn't have known that Grant was going to do something like this"

Charlie shrugged tearfully "But I should have"

"You couldn't" Joey disagreed gently "You're a mother not...Superwoman" she gently pulled a shaky Charlie to a chair and sat her down lightly "there's no way you could have known what was going to happen"

"You know...I kind of wish I hadn't asked Summer what happened now" Charlie sniffled quietly as she leaned her head on her hands "Ignorance is bliss and all that..."

"You're thinking about what happened?" Joey questioned quietly "At that house?"

"I can't stop" Charlie admitted softly "If Summer hadn't...I can't stop thinking about what _could _have happened Joey. Ruby...She could have been...and it would have been ten times worse because he's..." she took a deep breath to ease the rising sickness she felt but it did nothing to keep the tears at bay "I couldn't stand for anything like that to happen to her and the fact that he even suggested it..."

"Suggested it?" Joey frowned.

"Summer said he had threatened her...He said something like he doesn't think of Ruby as his biological daughter so it wouldn't matter to him if he..." Charlie trailed off and stood up quickly "I need a drink"

Joey watched intently as Charlie walked over to the fridge. She lowered her gaze to the ground and inhaled deeply, feeling sick herself at Grant's suggestion. When she looked up Charlie had returned to the seat next to her with a bottle of wine and two glasses in her hand.

"I need to do something" Charlie muttered as she precariously poured the wine into the two glasses before placing the bottle on the table "I need to feel like we're getting closer to finding him..." she grabbed her glass and drank half the wine in one mouthful.

"Charlie..." Joey subtly pushed her own glass of wine away and leaned forward slightly "Charlie, talk to me...What's _really_ bothering you? Right now I mean?"

Charlie hesitated for a moment before she tearfully met Joey's dark eyes "After what Summer told me...I honestly feel like killing him Joey. The fact that he even suggested doing anything like what he did to me..."

"Don't focus on it" Joey said as she took Charlie's free hand in her own "Don't think about what could have happened Charlie. Just focus on the fact that Ruby and Summer are here, _safe_"

"For now" Charlie said pessimistically "But how long will it be until he decides to do something else?"

"We'll be ready" Joey reassured her gently "He won't get anywhere near them again because we won't let him"

Charlie nodded slowly her tears slowing down slightly "He's going to pay...When I find him. I swear to God I'm not going to let him get away lightly with this"

Joey nodded in agreement but something in Charlie's eyes scared her "Just...promise me you won't do anything stupid, okay Charlie?"

Charlie shrugged and glanced away "Okay"

Joey bit her lip not fully content with the half hearted answer.

---

"You have to tell her"

Summer sighed heavily "You've been saying that for _days_ now"

"Well you should" Ruby defended calmly "She's your sister. Don't you think she deserves to know what happened?"

"Almost happened" Summer corrected "And I thought I already explained that to you. The whole it was my fault my sister was..."

"Don't even think about it" Ruby held up a hand to stop her friend's statement "That wasn't your fault. I already told you..."

"And I already told _you_ that I don't want Cameron to feel guilty about something that didn't even happen" Summer responded.

"But it wasn't her fault" Ruby stated quietly "I mean...She wasn't even there so she shouldn't really feel guilty, right?"

"No" Summer shook her head and gazed at Ruby sceptically "That doesn't change anything. I mean look at Charlie..."

"What about Charlie?" Ruby frowned in concern "She's fine"

"She acts fine" Summer informed insightfully "That doesn't mean she actually is okay. It doesn't stop her from blaming herself for what could have happened to you"

"She blames herself?" Ruby questioned, her shock obvious "I...I can't believe I didn't notice"

"Don't feel too bad" Summer said comfortingly "I think she's been trying to hide it from you as much as possible"

"I should talk to her" Ruby mumbled quietly to herself "Maybe later..."

"Probably a good idea" Summer agreed "I know from experience that if nobody intercepts the guilt just kind of...Stays there. It doesn't go away; it's just a constant reminder of what you've done"

"Or haven't done" Ruby added.

"Yeah...Maybe" Summer nodded hesitantly and they fell into a comfortable silence.

"You should tell her" Ruby said again "Not just about what happened at the house but...all of it. What happened before as well...Why you feel guilty"

"I can't" Summer shook her head instantly "I can't tell her that...It's out of the question" she laughed humourlessly "Anyway she's never around long enough for me to actually talk to her anyway. She's too absorbed in her 'work'"

"You'll work it out" Ruby said softly as she grabbed Summer's hand in a gentle grip "You just have to start with honesty..."

Summer released a heavy sigh "I'll try...Happy now?"

"Ecstatic" Ruby smiled triumphantly.

---

"Hey" Ruby whispered as she stopped in front of the couch Charlie was lying on "Are you okay?"

"Rubz" Charlie sat up slightly to make room for her daughter and wiped the faint traces of tears away quickly "Yeah...I'm fine. Just, thinking, y'know?"

"Yeah" Ruby sat cross legged on the couch next to Charlie and wrapped an arm around her shoulders "Are you sure you're okay?"

Charlie shrugged "I couldn't sleep...What are you doing up, anyway?"

"I guess I couldn't sleep either" Ruby smiled softly "So...Where's Joey?"

"Asleep" Charlie answered sadly "I didn't want to bother her just because I'm..."

"What?" Ruby prompted gently "You're what Charlie?"

"Nothing" Charlie said quietly "It doesn't matter Rubz...Honestly"

"No...Tell me" Ruby demanded gently "I want to know Charlie"

"I can't stop thinking about him" Charlie shrugged lightly "About what happened...That's all"

"It wasn't your fault you know" Ruby said softly causing Charlie to stiffen slightly in surprise "Grant taking us...What happened at the house. It wasn't your fault"

"I should have protected you" Charlie disagreed softly, tears forming again in her eyes "I swore that I wouldn't let anything happen to you..."

"And you didn't" Ruby stated "You didn't let anything happen to me...You saved me"

"But it was too close!" Charlie exclaimed firmly "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you Ruby..."

"You're not going to lose me" Ruby said quietly as she tightened her grip "You're kind of stuck with me for life"

"I'm such a mess" Charlie muttered as she wiped her tears away "I shouldn't be such a mess...I should be concentrating on finding Grant. On stopping him for real this time..." she moved to get up from the couch but found herself pulled back down.

"Can we just stay here for a while?" Ruby asked pleadingly "I mean can we just...Sit here?"

Charlie hesitated for a moment looking between her work and her daughter. Eventually however her decision was obvious.

"Of course" she sat back down on the couch and pulled Ruby close to her, wrapping her in a warm embrace "Of course we can"

---

Cameron looked hesitantly around as she exited the police station fumbling nervously with the car keys in her pocket. She swallowed heavily and checked again for any sign of Grant. It was 2:00 am so it was quite dark out making her even more nervous than before. She suddenly found herself craving Watson's presence but the other constable was out of the station. For the past few days Watson had been watching her like a hawk at Charlie's request although Cameron suspected she would have walked her to her car without having to be asked anyway. With a deep breath Cameron began the nerve wracking walk to her car. A soft shuffle from her right caused her to stop suddenly but realising she would be better off away from the open space she picked up her pace towards her vehicle. She reached it quickly and fumbled to get her key in the lock as solid footsteps sounded from behind her. Just as she was pulling the car door open a hand slammed it shoot. A hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around slamming her against the side of the car and knocking the wind out of her.

"Cameron" Grant grinned "Nice to finally see you again"

"What do you want?" Cameron panted painfully as she grasped her side.

"Didn't you get my note?" Grant smirked at her "I want your sister...again"

"What?" Cameron frowned in confusion at his statement.

"Why are you here anyway?" Grant motioned to the building mere feet from them "I thought at a time like this you would be with Summer. She probably needs your support right now"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Cameron asked in frustration.

"Ohhh...She didn't tell you?" Grant winced in mock surprise.

"Tell me what?!" Cameron demanded.

"About what happened at the house" Grant stated with a shrug. He grinned callously and leaned even closer to her "You know...She's almost as good as you were"

Cameron froze instantly at his suggestion, dread filling her "W...What?"

"You heard me" Grant said in a low voice "I thought she would have told you by now..."

"You're lying" Cameron accused him quietly.

"No, I'm not" Grant chuckled darkly "Or do you want me to tell you in detail how she scr...Ooph! "he trailed off with a grunt of pain as Cameron lifted her knee suddenly and it collided painfully with his groin. She raised her fist and punched him hard across the face noticing that his guard was down. She reached for her gun as he went sprawling to the ground.

"Oh Shit..." Cameron muttered under her breath when she realised it had disappeared.

"Looking for this?" Grant smirked as he waved the gun by the trigger "My old skills do come in handy after all..." he pushed himself off the ground and dropped the gun "But I don't need that, do I?"

"You're a sick bastard" Cameron stated angrily "And if you touched my sister..."

"You'll what?" Grant asked as he stepped close to her "There's nothing you can do Cameron" he raised his fist and hit her hard sending her sprawling back against the car, where she hit her head painfully "That's for what you did before" he sent a kick to her ribs causing her to drop to the ground breathing heavily. Unfortunately for him she had landed right next to her gun.

"You're at a police station" Cameron said through her heavy breathing as she reached for her weapon "You're going to get caught..."

"Not likely" Grant smirked arrogantly "I'm..." his smirk faded as Cameron spun around and raised the gun at him "Fuck..." he dived quickly out of the way as the blonde squeezed the trigger. All that sounded however was a sharp click.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Cameron mumbled as she squeezed it again with the same result "Shit" she stood up shakily from the ground.

"You're lucky I'm not ready to kill you yet" Grant smirked at her from the left as he moved closer "I'll be going now...Tell Summer I said Hi" he grabbed her shoulder and shoved her hard against the car eliciting a yelp of pain "That's for trying to shoot me" with that said he turned and rushed away. Cameron tried to run after him but found that she couldn't because of her injuries. She quickly pulled out her cell phone and dialled Watson's number.

TBC


	70. Chapter 70

**I'm really sorry I haven't updated for a while but I'm going through major writer's block (As you can probably tell from the crappiness of this chapter) but I'll try to get back on track after this anyway. Thanks again for the reviews. Not much Joey in this chapter and it's rather rubbish but like I said...Writer's block. Hopefully it's only temporary....**

Chapter 70

"We have a problem" Cameron announced as she walked unsteadily through the front door of the house, pushing it closed behind her a bit too hard.

"Cameron?" Charlie questioned as she walked out of the kitchen "Where have you..." she stopped short, her eyes widening in shock when she noticed the state of her friend "What the hell happened to you?!"

"Grant" Cameron answered shortly as she moved forward "He cornered me outside the station last night...Hit me a couple of times"

"A couple of times?" Charlie asked sceptically as she reached out and caught Cameron's arm "You look really banged up Cam"

Cameron shrugged as Charlie led her into the kitchen and sat her down on a chair "I'm fine"

"You're not" Charlie countered "Why didn't you call me when this happened last night anyway?"

"It was late...Or early. I didn't want to bother you" Cameron answered distractedly "I just went straight to the hospital. Don't worry. But the important thing here is that Grant is in _Summer Bay_ Charlie!"

"Yeah...I got that" Charlie nodded her gaze still concerned "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine" Cameron nodded quickly and glanced around the room "But have you seen Summer today? I really need to talk to her..."

"Um...No I haven't" Charlie shook her head in response "She must be around here so..." she trailed off as Cameron stood up and walked out of the room.

"SUMMER!" Cameron yelled loudly up the stairs. A matter of minutes later Summer came bounding down them. She gasped in shock when she reached the bottom and her eyes fell on her sister.

"Cam!" she exclaimed in concern as she grabbed Cameron's arm "What happened to you?"

"Grant...It doesn't matter" Cameron sighed heavily and tugged on Summer's hand "I need to talk to you about something Sum"

"What is it?" Summer asked, her features darkening even further with worry "Did something else happen?"

"Not to me" Cameron responded bluntly.

"What?" Summer frowned in confusion at the answer "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing...Look, Summer...I need to ask you something and it's important that you tell me the truth, okay?"

"Um...Okay" Summer nodded hesitantly.

"When you were with Grant...Did he do anything to you?" Cameron asked carefully "Anything at all? Like..."

"No" Summer shook her head "He...He tried to and he nearly...but he didn't actually..."

"Are you sure?" Cameron asked in concern "Because he said..."

"I'm sure" Summer said firmly.

Cameron gazed at her closely for a moment before releasing a breath of relief and sinking down onto the bottom step of the stairs "Thank God. I thought..."

"Nothing happened" Summer reassured her, looking worried once again "Are you okay Cam? You look really banged up..."

"I'm fine" Cameron sighed before she realised something and looked up sharply "Wait...Did you say he tried to? So...You lied to me before?"

"Um...yeah" Summer looked away guiltily "I did"

"Um..." Cameron appeared at a loss for words as hurt clouded her eyes "Why...Why would you do that?"

"I'm Sorry" Summer said sincerely as she forced herself to look up "I just didn't want to upset you or make you feel guilty"

"its okay" Cameron sighed and leaned her head tiredly on her hand "I understand..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Summer asked in concern "You don't look so good..."

"I'm just...Tired" Cameron shrugged weakly "I can't wait until all of this is over and we can get out of here..."

"What do you mean?" Summer questioned in confusion "Get out of where?"

"Summer Bay" Cameron answered simply.

"We're...We're leaving again?!" Summer exclaimed in shock "Are you serious?"

"Um...Yeah" Cameron finally looked up at her sister and frowned "This was never going to be permanent Summer"

"But I thought..." Summer started to protest but trailed off helplessly "What about Ruby?"

"What about her?" Cameron asked obliviously "You can keep in touch with her through E-mail can't you?"

"But you work here" Summer attempted feebly "You can't just quit your job"

"My transfer here is only temporary" Cameron reminded her "I only have a couple more weeks to transfer back to England"

"We can't just leave!" Summer argued, appearing near tears "What about everything that's happened? What about..."

"Ruby?" Cameron finished knowingly "I'm sorry Sum. I know you're close to her but we have to go back"

"Why?!" Summer exclaimed desperately "Why do we have to?!"

"Because we do" Cameron snapped harsher than she had intended "I have things I need to do back home Summer...I don't like it either..."

"This _is_ home" Summer corrected angrily "Summer Bay is home"

"We've only been here for a few months"

"I don't care!" Summer said loudly "We can't leave!"

"We have to!" Cameron informed her with a tone of finality "We have to leave in a couple of weeks Summer. I'm sorry but...There's nothing you can say to stop it. It's not up for negotiation"

"Whatever..." Summer muttered tearfully before she turned and walked away.

"Damn it..." Cameron groaned and thumped her fist on the banister next to her.

---

Ruby frowned as she cast a worried glance at Summer who was lying on her bed in silence. The younger girl was about to voice her concern when Summer spoke up.

"I'm leaving in two weeks"

"What?!" Ruby's eyes widened in shock "What do you mean you're leaving? Where are you going?"

"Back to England" Summer answered miserably. She leaned up on her elbows to look at Ruby "We have two weeks before we leave..."

"You're...You're coming back though, right?" Ruby asked nervously "I mean...You're not going for good?"

"I don't think so" Summer said quietly, her gaze dropping to the bed "I think we're staying there. At least that's what Cameron says"

"Oh..." Ruby muttered as she sat down on the bed next to the other girl "And you just accepted it? That you were leaving? Unless you...want to leave?"

"Of course I don't!" Summer sat up fully on the bed and gazed at Ruby seriously "And...I did argue but...Cameron's made her mind up. We're leaving"

"But...You can't leave!" Ruby protested "What about us?"

"Us?" Summer whispered.

"Well...Yeah" Ruby nodded as a light pink tinged her cheeks "You know what I mean"

"Do I?" Summer asked curiously. When Ruby stayed silent she continued quietly "It doesn't matter anyway. There's nothing I can do to change her mind"

"We don't matter?" Ruby questioned in a hurt voice as she moved to get up "Great Summer...It's nice to know how you really feel"

"Wait...I'm sorry Ruby" Summer grabbed Ruby's arm before she could stand up "I didn't mean it like that. You know how much you mean to me..." she wrapped her arms loosely around the younger girl from behind and sighed dolefully.

"I don't want you to go..." Ruby murmured sadly as she leaned back into the embrace.

"I'm sorry" Summer said in a hushed voice "I really don't want to either but...It's a waste of time trying to fight it..."

"So you're not even going to try?" Ruby asked as she pulled away from Summer's hold and stood up from the bed "You're just going to accept that we're never going to see each other again?!"

Summer shrugged sadly "It's easier this way"

"Easier?!" Ruby exclaimed disbelievingly "You're going to leave me because it's easier? That _really _shows you care!"

"Rubz..." Summer too stood up and reached for Ruby who stepped back just in time to avoid her touch. Her hand hovered lamely in mid air for a moment before dropping back to her side "I don't know what to say to you..."

"You don't have to say anything" Ruby shook her head and looked to the floor in an attempt to hide the tears which had appeared in her eyes "It doesn't matter, remember?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that!" Summer insisted as she took another step forward. She stopped however when Ruby moved back again in response "Ruby..."

"It doesn't matter" Ruby shrugged trying desperately to blink back her tears "Leave if you want...I don't care"

"Rubz, Wait a minute..." Summer protested as she watched the other teenager turn and walk toward the door "Ruby!"

Ruby hesitated at the door and looked back at Summer before she opened it and walked out without another word.

"Stupid!" Summer growled to herself as she dropped back onto the bed "This is stupid"

---

"Hey" Ruby said miserably as she dropped onto the couch next to Charlie.

"Hey" Charlie sighed as she glanced sidelong at her daughter.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked

quietly "You look as bad as I feel"

"Relationship problems" Charlie explained quietly "I had an argument with Joey. She thinks I'm obsessing over finding Grant"

"Same here" Ruby nodded "I mean the problems...Not the Joey thing"

"Oh" Charlie said as she wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders "Summer?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded slowly in response "She's leaving me"

"Leaving you?" Charlie turned her head slightly to look at her daughter "What do you mean?"

"She's going back to England in a couple of weeks" Ruby explained sadly "Which means we're not going to see each other again..."

"You don't know that" Charlie attempted to comfort the younger girl "You can phone her and she'll probably come back sometime"

"It's not the same" Ruby shrugged pitifully "She won't be here"

"So why are you down here moping with me?" Charlie asked curiously, with the hint of a smile.

"I don't know" Ruby sighed "I'm not talking to her right now..."

"Why?"

"She's just giving up!" Ruby frowned "It's like she doesn't even care that she's leaving me! She even said that it 'doesn't matter'"

"I'm sure she didn't mean it like that Rubz" Charlie murmured softly "This is probably just as difficult for her..."

"It doesn't matter" Ruby said tearfully "She's still leaving me"

"Come here" Charlie whispered sympathetically as she pulled her daughter closer. Ruby released a small choked sob in response.

"It'll be okay..." Charlie said in a hushed voice. After a couple of moments she looked up and met the concerned gaze of Joey who stood in the doorway.

"_I'm Sorry"_ she mouthed silently.

Joey smiled slightly at the silent apology and nodded her head "_me too"_

TBC


	71. Chapter 71

**Here's the next chapter guys! Thanks again to all of you who are sticking with this fic and still reviewing. I know it may be getting a bit tedious (And feel free to tell me it sucks if it does) but your reviews really inspire me to continue writing CJ. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 71

"So what's going on with you and Summer?" Joey asked as she watched Ruby closely from across the table "This is the longest I've seen either of you go without talking to each other"

"I'm pissed off at her" Ruby said with a glare at nothing in particular "I hate that she's just giving up on us without a fight"

"She's really upset you know" Joey said quietly as she met Ruby's gaze "With the situation...and the fact that your mad at her is making it even worse for her because she can't talk to you"

Ruby shrugged "Why should I care? It's obvious she doesn't..."

"Haven't you thought...?" Joey started insightfully "That it might not be that she doesn't care? It might be that she cares too much to put you through an attempt to fight what's happening?"

Ruby hesitated for a moment before speaking disdainfully "That doesn't even make sense...If she cares so much about me than why is it that she's suddenly running back to England?"

"You make it seem like she has a choice" Joey observed as she leaned back slightly in her chair "It seems to me that she doesn't want to leave at all. But she has to do this...For Cameron"

"You think I'm being selfish?" Ruby asked as she lowered her gaze to the table. When Joey didn't respond she gave a small shrug "Maybe I am"

"You should talk to her" Joey advised softly as she reached across the table and squeezed Ruby's hand "It'll be good for both of you"

"I don't want to talk to her" Ruby grumbled "If I talk to her I'm only going to feel worse about the fact that she's leaving because..."

"Being mad at her hurts less?" Joey offered knowingly as she tilted her head in an attempt to meet the teenager's pained eyes "You don't have to concentrate on the fact that she's leaving?"

"I guess that's it" Ruby nodded fighting back tears "I don't even know why I care so much about the fact that she's leaving. I mean..." she looked up at Joey for confirmation "_should_ I care this much? Should it really hurt this much to think of her not being here?"

Joey hesitated for a moment before answering "I don't know what you're asking me Rubz..."

"Neither do I" Ruby released a bitter laugh and closed her eyes temporarily before she looked back at Joey. The older girl noticed however that Ruby didn't seem to be looking _at her_, but more like through her as if she was deep in thought "I shouldn't care this much about her. I'm so confused...It's like everything we say, everything we do has a deeper meaning...Like it's loaded with subtext I just can't figure out"

"Subtext?" Joey was getting even more confused by the minute and Ruby seemed to be talking out loud to herself "I have no idea what you're going on about..."

Ruby started as if surprised to hear Joey speak and shook her head in an attempt to clear it "That makes two of us than..."

"Ruby" Joey sighed and leaned forward slightly to look at the younger girl in pure concern "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? Or anyone? I'm not going to judge you"

"Yeah...I know" Ruby managed a small smile "thanks Joey"

Joey shrugged and was about to say something else when Charlie walked into the room wearing a disgruntled expression.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked in concern as she sat up slightly in her seat.

"Nothing" Charlie sighed. She leaned down and kissed Joey quickly before heading over to the coffee maker "Just Summer and Cameron arguing...Again"

Joey cast a look at Ruby's whose expression had darkened even more.

Charlie turned around just in time to see the exchange and frowned in confusion "Wait...Are you still not talking to her Rubz?"

Ruby shook her head "No, I'm not. And I don't plan on it either"

"Talking about me?" Summer asked miserably as she walked into the room her shoulders slumped in defeat. She glanced at Ruby though she didn't meet her eyes "Don't worry, I don't expect you to answer me"

Charlie and Joey exchanged awkward looks.

"What were you arguing with Cameron about this time?" Charlie asked in an attempt to distract Summer from Ruby's silent anger.

"Same as usual" Summer sighed disdainfully "She wants to leave. I don't really want to..." she risked another glance at Ruby "Though even I'm not sure why anymore"

Ruby looked up sharply anger burning brightly in her eyes "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"She speaks" Summer muttered dryly. When Ruby remained silent and merely glared at her she continued "All I mean is that if you're never going to talk to me again there's no point in me hanging around...Is there?"

"Fine!" Ruby seethed furiously as she stood up from her chair "LEAVE! See if I care...I'm going out!" with a glance at a stunned Charlie she turned on her heel and rushed out of the room. They stood in silence for a moment before Charlie seemed to realise what her daughter was doing and she snapped out of her daze, rushing out of the kitchen after her.

"RU..." she was cut off by the slamming of the front door and she sighed heavily "Great...That's just great"

"I'm sorry..."

Charlie jumped slightly as Summer popped up at her side "It's Okay...It wasn't your fault. Not really"

"I didn't meant to piss her off" Summer said regretfully "It's just...I hate that she's not talking to me. That she actually blames me for all of this"

"She doesn't blame you" Charlie said comfortingly "It's just...She's hurting right now and all she can think about is that you're leaving her. She just needs time"

"I agree" Joey said as she walked over to them "She's just confused about you right now Sum. Everything's unsure with you and her...She needs time to figure things out"

"So basically everything's a mess" Summer sighed to herself as she glanced back at the closed door "Do you think she'll be okay out there? Maybe I should go after..." she trailed off as she realised the flaws of her plan "Never mind...probably not a very good idea considering how furious she is at me"

"She'll be okay" Charlie said unsurely "She won't go far"

Joey nodded in agreement and reached out to take Charlie's hand as they stared at the door, wishing Ruby would walk back through it.

---

Ruby angrily dashed away tears from her cheeks as she walked down the road but found they kept on coming no matter how much she tried to stop them. She stopped suddenly and took a deep breath in an attempt to clear her head "Stupid confusing feelings..."

"Confusing feelings?" a voice behind her caused her to whirl around and come face to face with the one person she never wanted to see again "What a..."

"What do you want?!" Ruby interrupted as she began to slowly back away "I thought Charlie told you to stay away from me already..."

"That was before" Grant smirked "Before I took you and before your stupid friend hit me on the head" he raised a hand and subconsciously rubbed the top of his head.

Noticing he was somewhat distracted Ruby didn't hesitate to take her chance and spun around, quickly sprinting away.

"OI!" Grant called after her though Ruby didn't stop and merely continued running. She heard loud footfalls behind her and after a couple of minutes felt arms wrap around her waist holding her in place.

"GET OFF ME!" she yelled as she struggled to break free "CHARLIE! JOE..."

"Shhh!" Grant hushed her as he pressed a hand to her mouth effectively shutting her up "I just want to talk to you for a minute"

Ruby continued to struggle helplessly for a moment before she realised she wasn't getting anywhere and reluctantly relaxed.

Grant smirked at her as she did so and lowered his hand slowly "So what are you doing outside the house at this time of night? It's dark out...I'm sure Charlie wasn't happy about this" she remained silently glaring at him and he rolled his eyes "Fine. Be like that"

"Let go of me" Ruby demanded in a low voice "Right now"

"Where would be the fun in that?" Grant chuckled at her statement "I thought we could talk for a while" his grin faded slightly when Ruby remained still and didn't react in the slightest. He quickly decided to change tactic "So how is Summer these days?"

Ruby released a low growl and began to struggle furiously against him. Grant, surprised by her reaction struggled to maintain a grip on her "Whoa...Okay, calm down! Geeze..."

"You're sick!" Ruby muttered furiously as she stopped her struggling breathing heavily "You're a sick, pathetic pervert now LET ME GO!"

"Stop yelling!" Grant commanded glancing around quickly to make sure nobody had heard "Or somebody's going to overhear us"

"And?!" Ruby questioned sharply "I don't care. Just get off me right now or I'm going to scream"

"No you're not"

"How do you know?!"

"You're not going to scream because if you scream" Grant trailed a finger down Ruby's cheek and smirked when she flinched away from his touch "I'll kill you"

Ruby swallowed fearfully "Let me go"

"No"

"CHAR...!"

Grant raised his hand and backhanded the younger girl across the face effectively cutting off her speech "I thought I told you to be quiet"

Though stunned and in pain from the hit which had caused her lip to bleed and her cheek to ache Ruby looked up again and met his dark gaze "Let go of me"

"I can't" Grant said quietly as he pulled a knife out from his belt and held it up threatingly so it glinted in the moonlight "Because if I do you're going to go home and tell Charlie about this...Am I right?"

Ruby didn't answer as he pressed the knife against her throat, pushing against it slightly. She winced as se felt it cut into her and instinct kicked in as she raised her knee and slammed it painfully into his groin. When Grant yelped and doubled over in pain Ruby took the chance to push him off her and turning she rushed quickly away, hoping he didn't follow her.

"Fuck" Grant gasped through the pain "Twice in three days...That's great!"

---

When Charlie opened the front door, she was horrified to see Ruby stumble through it bloody and shaking "Ruby! What the hell happened to you?" she reached out and caught her daughter just before she fell and began to lead her quickly to the living room, her own panic setting in.

"Grant...He..." Ruby stumbled over her words slightly as Charlie pushed her gently down on the couch "Followed me"

"And hit you?" Charlie asked attempting to suppress her anger as she looked over her daughter's injuries.

"Yeah" Ruby nodded slowly. She looked up as Summer and Joey entered the room, the latter carrying a first aid box in her hands "I was kind of yelling and he told me to be quiet. I wouldn't' so he punched me..."

Charlie frowned as she placed her hand under Ruby's chin and tilted her head up slightly noticing the inch long cut that adorned her daughter's neck "How did this happened?"

"A knife" Ruby answered shakily "He said that he was going to kill me and he pressed the knife against my throat. That was when I got away"

Charlie nodded slowly and looked up into Ruby's eyes "Are you okay Ruby?"

"Um...I guess so" Ruby looked confused but nodded anyway.

"I'm going out" Charlie announced as she stood up from where she had been kneeling in front of Ruby "You'll be okay without me for a while, right?" she looked between the other girls for an answer but they didn't offer one "Right. I might be away for a while so don't wait up" she dropped a kiss on Ruby's head and kissed Joey quickly "I'll be back in a minute" with that said she rushed out of the room. Joey, Ruby and Summer exchanged concerned looks and Charlie returned moments later with her jacket on and her keys in her hand.

"Maybe you shouldn't go out there Charlie..." Joey started reluctantly fully aware of the fact that Charlie wouldn't listen to her.

"I have to!" Charlie insisted and for the first time Joey noticed that her wife was practically shaking with fury "I have to do this" she glanced at Ruby quickly "Where did you leave him Ruby?"

"Um...Not far from here" Ruby answered "But..."

"I have to go" Charlie said already walking toward the door "I'll be fine!"

"But Charlie..." Ruby started to protest but stopped and sighed as the door slammed shut behind Charlie. She glanced up at Joey worriedly "What do you think she's going to do?"

"I don't know" Joey answered worriedly "Hopefully arrest him"

Ruby glanced at a still silent Summer and offered her a small smile which quickly grew tearful with worry. Summer hesitated for a moment before she sat down on the couch and took Ruby's hand comfortingly "I'm sure she'll be fine Rubz"

"I'm sorry I was so mad at you before" Ruby said quietly "It's just..."

"It's okay" Summer interrupted her quickly "Really. It's fine...I completely understand"

"Erm..." Joey cut in awkwardly and both girls looked at her "Do you need me to patch you up Rubz? That cut looks a little bit sore..."

Ruby shook her head and smiled lightly "I'm fine. Thanks Joey...I think I'm just going to head upstairs" she stood up and started to the door expecting Summer to follow her but stopped halfway and turned around to see Summer sitting on the couch looking torn as to what to do "Are you coming?"

Summer nodded unable to stop the smile that tugged at her lips as she stood up from the couch.

"Will you let me know if Charlie gets back?" Ruby asked Joey quietly. The older girl nodded sincerely and Ruby turned again to walk away.

---

"Ow!" Ruby winced slightly and jerked back as Summer dabbed at the cut on her neck gently.

"Sorry" Summer said guiltily "But this would be a hell of a lot easier if you would hold still you know...It might not hurt as much"

"It hurts!" Ruby pouted indignantly.

"Hmmmn..."

Ruby couldn't help but grin to herself as she noticed Summer's look of intense concentration "You know...You're cute when you concentrate"

Summer glanced up and shook her head as her cheeks flamed pink. She glanced back down as she dressed Ruby's wound with a bandage "There! All done..."

"I'm sorry" Ruby said for what felt like the fifth time since they had gotten upstairs "I didn't mean to be such a bitch to you..."

"It's okay" Summer reassured her quickly "I told you...I understand"

"I don't think you do" Ruby disagreed "To some extent I don't think I really understand either..."

"Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" Summer asked.

"I don't want you to go" Ruby said bluntly as she looked up and met Summer's eyes "I really don't want you to"

"I don't want to either" Summer smiled sadly "But I have to"

"After my Dad died..." Ruby said painfully as her gaze lowered to their lightly linked hands "And maybe even before...I've kind of had issues with people abandoning me. I guess that's why I got so mad at you. Because you're leaving me"

"I'm not abandoning you" Summer said quickly "I'm not just going to forget about you or anything. I mean..." she winced slightly "That kind of makes it sound like I'm never going to come back, doesn't it?"

Ruby nodded slowly "_Are_ you ever going to come back?"

"I don't know" Summer said honestly "I wish I could say that I was but...I just don't know Rubz"

"I'll miss you like crazy" Ruby murmured as she lowered her tearful eyes again "When you leave I mean...I don't know what I'll do without you here"

"I'll miss you too" Summer said just as tearfully as she squeezed Ruby's hand slightly "But you'll be fine Ruby...I promise"

"I wish you didn't have to go" Ruby said softly as she pulled away and lay down on the bed tiredly.

"So do I" Summer responded in agreement as she too flopped down on her side next to Ruby "And if it was up to me I wouldn't leave...but it's not my decision"

"How...How long have we got?" Ruby answered worriedly not sure if she wanted to know the answer at all.

"A week and a half" Summer answered truthfully "Maybe even less"

Ruby shifted slightly closer to Summer "You...You know that I...I mean I...."

"I know" Summer smiled lightly at Ruby's attempt to express her feelings "You don't have to say it Rubz"

"I wish I could..."

"I know that too" Summer said softly "So do I"

"I'm so confused" Ruby whispered as she daringly lifted a hand to Summer's cheek and trailed a finger lightly down it . She paused as the older girl trembled slightly under her faint touch "I wish we had more time"

Summer nodded in response "But there could never be enough"

Ruby smiled lightly at Summers statement "When did you become such a romantic?" when she realised what she had said she quickly backtracked "I mean..."

"I know" Summer interrupted her, her tone slightly sad "I know what you mean" she paused for a moment before speaking "I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave you...Cameron will probably end up dragging me onto the plane kicking and screaming"

Ruby laughed softly at the mental image "Maybe" she paused for a moment undecidedly before she began to lean forward slowly. Summer's eyes flickered shut as her heart thundered loudly in her chest. At the last possible second Ruby lifted her head slightly and dropped a soft kiss on Summer's nose before pulling back, defeated.

Summer opened her eyes and attempted to smile reassuringly when she noticed Ruby's beaten expression "We'll be fine...Don't worry"

"I've never had a friend like you" Ruby said suddenly as she finally gathered the courage to look up into Summer's eyes again "It's never been this...Strong, y'know? It hurts like a bitch to think of you so far away from me..."

"We'll be okay" Summer said again in an attempt to convince herself as much as Ruby.

---

"Fuckin' Stupid teenagers..." Grant mumbled to himself as he hobbled along the road towards his parked car, having given up on his stalking for the night. He frowned as he noticed a familiar car behind his own but thought nothing more of it until he heard footsteps behind him. He was about to turn around when something hard and metal pressed against the back of his head.

"Stop right there"

Grant froze in place but revolved slightly to face a furious Charlie "Charlie...I wasn't expecting to see you so soon"

"Shut it" Charlie pressed the barrel of the gun against his forehead barely able to contain her anger "And turn around"

"Fine" Grant turned around and seconds later felt handcuffs being clamped onto his wrist "OW! Those are tight!"

"And?"

"So you're arresting me?" Grant asked as he glanced back at Charlie "It took you long enough..."

"I'm not arresting you" Charlie grabbed the back of his shirt with one hand and began to push him along towards the car.

"Well what are you doing?" Grant asked in confusion.

"Do you seriously think I was going to let you do what you did to Ruby and get away with it?!" Charlie seethes furiously "Seriously? You threatened to kill her!"

"So...We're going to the station?" Grant asked nervously as Charlie opened the back door of her car "And you're going to arrest me there?"

"We're not going to the station" Charlie said "And I'm not arresting you...Now get in"

Grant swallowed apprehensively but did as he was told. Charlie slammed the car door shut behind him before she got into the front and started the engine. Grant felt fear twist in his gut when he noticed that she was visibly trembled with anger and she had a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel "So where are we going?" he asked hopefully "To a different station?"

"I told you" Charlie met Grant's gaze and his fear intensified at the pure fury of her blue eyes "We're not going to the station" with that she slammed the car into gear and they drove off quickly.

TBC


	72. Chapter 72

**Hey guys here's the next chapter. Thank you all so much for all of your reviews. They really mean a lot. Quick note: Charlie may seem slightly...or well...**_**very**_** out of character in this chapter but remember she's really really pissed off since Grant almost killed Ruby in the last chapter. That can lead someone to do a hell of a lot of crazy stuff. Oh and I'm sorry in advance for the evil cliff-hanger at the end hehe...**

Chapter 72

"This is adding insult to injury" Grant complained as Charlie set about taping him into a chair "You could have at least used somebody else's house...But what do you do? You decide to use mine instead!"

"Shut it!" Charlie growled angrily as she stepped back her gun still in her hand. Grant struggled furiously against the ties that bound him to the chair and winced as he did so "Too tight?"

"YES!" Grant bellowed "It fucking is! Now let me go or I swear to God, I'll..."

"You're in no position to be making threats" Charlie said coldly as she grabbed a chair and sat in front of him. Grant was unnerved to see the uncharacteristically unemotional look in her eyes.

"What do you want with me?" he asked her at last his tone so soft that Charlie found it hard to hear him.

"What do _I_ want with you?" she echoed "I've been wondering the same thing about you for a while now and then I came to a simple conclusion..."

"What conclusion is that?" Grant smirked at her.

"You're evil" Charlie spoke simply "It's as simple as that"

"Then why don't you arrest me?" Grant asked curiously "Why have you brought me here? Why am I tied to a chair?!"

"You're tied to a chair because you can't be trusted" Charlie answered anger simmering silently in her eyes "You're here because you think it's funny to hurt the people I care about"

"So you've been planning this for a while now?" Grant asked cautiously "Kidnapping me and..." he trailed off unable to comprehend what Charlie was going to do to him.

"No" Charlie shook her head honestly "I was planning on arresting you and locking you up for the rest of your miserable life but then..." her grip tightened unconsciously on the gun and she leaned forward. Grant swallowed nervously and leaned back against the wooden chair "You hurt her...Threatened to kill her. I won't allow that"

"So what are you going to do?" Grant smirked with false bravado "Shoot me? You wouldn't be able to do it. You could defend yourself the first time you won't be able to..." he trailed off as Charlie lifted the gun and pressed it against his temple in one swift movement.

"Bad idea" Charlie said icily "Don't tell me what I will and won't do when it comes to protecting my family"

Grant closed his eyes tightly and his breathing sped up in his panic "Charlie...Stop. This isn't you...You can't do this"

"You don't know me" Charlie muttered even as she lowered the gun back to her side.

Grant released a breath and opened his eyes to look at her "Just let me go"

"NO!" Charlie snapped instantly as she looked back up at him "There's not a hope in hell of that happening..." she stood up and wiped her clammy hands on her jeans as she muttered to herself "I need a drink..."

"Um...In the kitchen" Grant spoke up "Top cupboard on the left. There should be a couple of bottles of Whiskey"

Charlie glanced at him suspiciously but walked out of the room anyway.

"Shit..." Grant muttered to himself as he looked around for an appropriate weapon. The only thing he spotted however was Charlie's phone close to his foot on the ground. Realising it must have fallen out of her pocket her struggled against his bonds. He finally managed to loosen the tape slightly on his leg and kicked the phone gently closer to him making sure not to damage it.

"What are you doing?" Charlie asked as she walked in a moment later with a bottle of whiskey in her hand "You're not going to be able to get out of those you know"

"You need to stop this before it gets too out of hand" Grant pleaded as he looked up at Charlie "You need to let me go...Or arrest me! I won't put up a fight, I swear!"

"I'm not done with you yet" Charlie said as she slumped into her seat and took a quick swig from the bottle of whiskey "I want to talk to you"

Grant again swallowed nervously but merely stared at her silently.

"You want to know something?" Charlie asked thoughtfully as she leaned her head on her hand tiredly.

"Um...No?" Grant attempted "Couldn't we do this in a cell? Without your Gun?"

"When you turned up..." Charlie started quietly her eyes slightly glazed over as if she was remembering something "Ruby thought she was like you...Because of the unfortunate blood relation. She thought that I looked at her differently because of it"

"Why are you telling me this?" Grant questioned awkwardly.

Charlie merely carried on without listening however "Summer told me that when you were at the house...When you tried to attack her...You were thinking about doing the same to Ruby...Is that true?" when Grant merely gazed at her in pure fear she felt herself growing slightly irritated "ANSWER ME!"

"I...I was threatening Summer" Grant stumbled over his words in his panic "So she wouldn't struggle...So I could have what I wanted"

"So you could have what you wanted" Charlie repeated slowly "the same thing you wanted from me? From Cameron?!"

Grant nodded, surprised to find himself shaking in his seat "Y...Yeah"

"You're lying about Ruby aren't you?" Charlie accused "You wouldn't have cared..."

"I wouldn't have done it!" Grant protested feebly "I mean I would have...But I swear I wouldn't have gone all the way. I would have just..."

"Stop!" Charlie ordered loudly as she clutched the bottle tighter "I'd advise you not to go into too much detail when I'm this pissed off" she lifted the bottle to her lips and took another drink of the liquid, finding the burning sensation in her throat comfortingly distracting.

"Just let me go" Grant pleaded again "I..."

"You attacked her again" Charlie said softly as she looked back up at him. Her eyes though glazed over had turned even colder "And you hit her"

"I know" Grant nodded slowly "And I'm sorry. I..."

"Sorry?!" Charlie laughed bitterly "You tried to fucking kill her! You held a knife to her throat..." the realisation of what had almost happened finally hit Charlie like a punch to the gut "Oh God...You were going to..."

"I was just trying to scare her!" Grant lied quickly as he noticed Charlie getting even more agitated and the gun twitched in her free hand "I wasn't going to kill her; I was just trying to scare her...Honestly"

"Where do you get off?!" Charlie growled furiously as she leaned forward even more "You're fucking sick!"

"I...I know" Grant nodded as his heart began to beat furiously against his chest "I know I am but I wasn't going to hurt. I just wanted to scare her into..." his breath caught in his throat again when Charlie raised the gun and pointed it directly at his forehead. He held his breath as the metal of the gun dug into his skin and the safety was removed from the gun with a soft click which seemed to echo around the room ominously.

"Scared now?" Charlie asked her hand shaking violently as unwilling tears obscured her vision "You cut her..." her mind flashed back to her conversation with Ruby only hours previously.

_A knife" Ruby answered shakily "He said that he was going to kill me and he pressed the knife against my throat..." _

"I...I know" Grant shut his eyes tightly "Please Charlie just let me go. I swear I'll leave you alone or...or you can arrest me. I won't put up a fight"

"What would I have done if you killed her?!" Charlie appeared to be speaking more to herself than to Grant as she pressed unconsciously on the gun.

"Charlie!" Grant gasped in pain "Stop. Please...This isn't you. You're...you're not like me"

"I thought I told you to shut it" Charlie

"You can arrest me!" Grant said again as he opened his eyes to look at the woman in front of him.

"You don't deserve to be arrested" Charlie muttered tearfully "After everything you did..."

"You're supposed to be a cop!" Grant exclaimed desperately "You can't just kill me! You'll go to jail...You'll be just as bad as I am"

"I could never be anything like you!" Charlie stated furiously as she applied a slight pressure to the trigger "And I can do what I damn well want..."

"This isn't you" Grant said again "You're not like this. You're just upset and I kind of get that but...I swear I'll let you arrest me"

"I don't want to arrest you!" Charlie finally allowed the alcohol to drop from her grip and smash on the ground before she raised her other hand to the gun.

"What would Ruby do?!" Grant exclaimed desperately "If you kill me and get locked up?!"

Charlie hesitated for a moment but tightened her grip on the gun "Shut up"

"You can't kill me" Grant stated as he opened his eyes and looked at Charlie "You're...You're just trying to freak me out....That's what you're doing" he moved his foot and brought it down on the phone gently in hopes that it would dial a number "You're not going to kill me, are you?" he paused for a moment before speaking again "So what? You brought me out here to my own house which is coincidentally where I locked Ruby and Summer up...To prove something to yourself? To prove that you can protect them?"

"Shut up!" Charlie said angrily "I can protect them...I am. I will be by getting rid of you"

"Is that any way for a cop to talk?!" Grant exclaimed though fear was obvious in his eyes "You can't beat me Charlie...Because you're turning into me"

---

"Where is she?" Ruby muttered nervously as she paced back and forth next to Summer and Joey "It's like...4am! She should be back by now

"She's probably at the station" Joey suggested though she looked just as worried "She probably arrested Grant and now she'll be interviewing him...or something"

"It shouldn't take this long!" Ruby stated in worry "She would be back by now...Or she would have at least called to let us know she was okay, unless something happened with Grant and she's hurt or something. She could be anywhere. She..."

"Ruby!" Summer reached out and caught Ruby's hand pulling her gently onto the couch between herself and Joey "Calm down...Charlie's fine. Nothing could have happened to her. I mean she's a cop right? She had her gun with her...She's probably just doing paperwork now" she glanced over at Joey who was biting her lip nervously "Right Joey?"

"Right" Joey agreed reluctantly.

"Maybe you're right" Ruby sighed "But I hate to think of her out there with him...He's dangerous and it's getting really late"

"She'll be fine" Summer said comfortingly as she wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders and hugged her lightly "You'll see. She's going to walk through the door any second now..."

Joey and Ruby looked at the door as if they were pleading with it to open.

"I wish she would hurry up!" Ruby exclaimed as she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor "I'm going out of my mind here..."

Joey nodded in agreement "Maybe we should try phoning her again. She has been quite a while..." despite her best efforts her worry was obvious.

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded quickly "Let's d..." she trailed off as a ringing filled the air. Joey looked confused and pulled her mobile out of her pocket.

"It's Charlie" she said in relief as she answered it and raised it to her ear "Hey...Charlie?" she frowned after a moment "Charlie are you..." she trailed off as a very different voice sounded.

"What is it?" Ruby asked having noticed Joey pale slightly. She shifted closer to the older girl and leaned her head close to the phone.

"...brought me out here to my own house which is coincidentally where I locked Ruby and Summer up...To prove something to yourself? To prove that you can protect them?" Grant's voice sounded faded across the line

"Shut up!" Charlie responded angrily "I can protect them...I am. I will be by getting rid of you"

Joey and Ruby gasped at the suggestion of what Charlie was about to do.

"Is that any way for a cop to talk?!" Grant exclaimed his voice sounding slightly shaky even to them "You can't beat me Charlie...Because you're turning into me"

"I'll never be like you!" Charlie stated adamantly "You're evil...Pure evil!"

"You can't kill me!" Grant's voice sounded amused but scared at the same time "You may have the gun pointed at me but you won't pull the trigger Charlie...I know you won't"

"Shut up!"

"You could have put me away before" Grant continued stupidly "But you chose not to didn't you? You could have stopped what happened to Cameron, Ruby and Summer...You know you could have"

"Shut up!" Charlie repeated her voice clogged with tears "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"You're just as bad as me..." Grant snarled obviously growing angry at the power Charlie had over him "But you won't be able to pull that trigger. Just like you couldn't protect them the first time. The difference between you and me is that I would have been able to do it. I would have been able to kill her with just a small movement of that knife but you? You can't...Because while you're pissed that I hurt your precious daughter you won't do anything about it. You _can't _do anything about it. Maybe you were better off being just a sister to her. Maybe I should have finished the job I sta..."

BANG!!

Ruby and Joey both jumped as the loud bang sounded and the phone dropped from Joey's loose grip. She scrambled to pick it up from where it had dropped onto the couch next to her but found the line had gone dead.

TBC


	73. Chapter 73

**Hey guys thanks for the reviews! They're all really appreciated as always! Here's the next chapter...Extra dramatic! Though I was in a kind of hurry when I wrote it so...Oh and I'm sorry for the major cliff-hanger at the end (You'll see when you get there). Definitely the meanest cliff-hanger I've ever written, I'm sure, But hey you guys trust me with this, right? Don't worry tooo much :D **

Chapter 73

"What was that?!" Ruby asked frantically as she watched Joey staring vacantly at the phone "That sounded like a gunshot! Joey?!" when Joey offered no answer she turned to Summer wide eyed.

"She shot him..." Joey whispered as she allowed the phone to slide from her grasp. She stumbled back onto the couch looking pale.

"Shot who?" Summer asked looking confused "Grant?"

Ruby nodded unsteadily "Y...Yeah. I don't understand what was going on but...Charlie was talking about getting rid of him and t...there was a gunshot"

"Oh" Summer's eyes widened in shock "But...But Charlie wouldn't...I mean she's not..."

"Joey!" Ruby pleaded as she sank down on the couch next to the older girl "Joey! What do we do? Tell me what do..."

At the panicked tone of Ruby's voice Joey managed to snap out her shocked daze and turned her gaze to meet the teenagers "Ruby..."

"Joey, she shot him!" Ruby exclaimed tearfully as she clung tightly to Joey's hand "She _shot_ him! What...What are we supposed to do now?"

Joey swallowed heavily as she realised both Ruby and Summer were counting on her to know what to do "Just...Just give me a minute Rubz" she stood up and began pacing stressfully despite the fact that she was shaking from head to foot "Um..." she chewed thoughtfully on her lip for a moment hard enough to draw blood.

"Joey?" Ruby questioned shakily.

"Okay" Joey took a deep breath and looked at the teenagers "You two stay here. I'll call Leah to stay with you."

"Where are you going?!" Ruby asked in concern.

"I'm going to find Charlie" Joey answered quietly attempting to keep her rising emotions in check "I know where she is..."

"No!" Ruby stated instantly. She moved forward and grabbed Joey's arm in an almost painful grip "You can't go out there alone Joey...It's too dangerous!"

"I...Cameron will come with me" Joey reassured her numbly "I'll be fine Ruby. I promise. I just...I need to find out what happened..."

"You can't go!" Ruby shook her head adamantly as tears spilled down her cheeks "You...You can't _leave me_!"

"You'll be fine" Joey promised unsteadily as she pulled the shaky girl into a brief hug "You'll look after her right Summer?" she looked up and met Summer's gaze pleadingly.

"Of course I will" Summer nodded sincerely despite her own scared expression "I won't let anything happen to her...I promise"

Joey nodded at her and looked back at Ruby "Ruby? Honey you need to let me go..."

Ruby hung on tightly for a moment before she reluctantly relinquished her tight grip and stepped back to stand shakily at Summer's side.

"I'll...I'll phone Leah" Joey said shakily "Tell where having some kind of emergency without telling her any details...She'll only want to phone the police...Yeah..." Mumbling to herself Joey turned around and began to make the call.

Ruby released a breath and looked down at her own shaking hands. She clenched her fists in an attempt to still them but found that it didn't work. She reluctantly loosened them her fingertips brushing against Summer's as she did so. Summer looked down at the contact and paused for a moment before slipping her hand into the younger girls. She breathed a sigh of relief when Ruby tightened the light grip almost instantly.

"Right..."

Ruby and Joey looked up to see Joey nodding to herself.

"I'm going to go...Cameron's at the station as usual so I have to head there first" Joey told them quietly "Leah should be here soon" she moved forward and hugged them briefly "Don't worry...Everything's going to be fine" she pulled away and motioned toward the front door "I'm going to lock the door on my way out"

"What's the point?" Ruby questioned unsteadily "Grant's dead"

"I'll call soon" Joey promised before she practically sprinted out of the room.

"She killed him" Ruby whispered almost to herself as she turned to look at Summer with tears forming once again in her eyes. Unable to comprehend the possibility of what Charlie had done Summer merely pulled Ruby into her arms.

---

"You still haven't told me where we're going" Cameron complained as Joey drove quickly out of Summer bay "And you're driving like a crazy person!"

"We're going to the house where Grant was keeping Ruby and Summer" Joey explained hurriedly.

""Why?" Cameron frowned in confusion "I don't understand why you're so panicked about this...And what were you saying about Charlie?"

"I think she's done something stupid" Joey answered as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white because of the pressure "Really stupid"

"Are you going to elaborate...?"

"I think she's shot Grant" Joey spoke softly as if further volume would make the words true "I...I heard her. On the phone"

"Seriously?" Cameron asked in shock "No way...Charlie wouldn't do that"

"I wouldn't usually think so" Joey glanced briefly at Cameron before looking back at the road she was currently speeding down "But I heard her saying she was going to get rid of him and there was...A gunshot!"

"Shit" Cameron swore softly as she sank back into her seat "Step on it...We're not far away"

Joey nodded and pressed her foot to the accelerator.

---

"You're crazy" Grant coughed as he watched Charlie drinking from the bottle of whiskey "YOU'RE FUCKING CRAZY!"

"Maybe" Charlie shrugged as she switched the gun from hand to hand "At least I didn't shoot you yet though, right?"

"You missed" Grant corrected "there's a difference between that and choosing not to"

"I didn't miss" Charlie said coldly "I never _miss_. In case you didn't notice I had the gun pointed directly at your head. I _chose_ to shoot the phone next to your foot instead"

"Let me go!" Grant demanded as he struggled against his bounds "I swear to God when I get out of this chair I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"If you get out of the chair" Charlie stood up from the ground and swayed slightly "There's really no guarantee that you will"

"LET ME GO!" Grant yelled furiously "Let me go right now! This is illegal you know..."

"That didn't bother you when you kept Ruby and Summer here" Charlie countered coming to a stop in front of him "So why should it bother me? Especially after everything you've done. I would be doing everyone a favour by getting rid of you"

Grant groaned heavily and slumped into the chair defeated. His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the tape around his wrists had loosened slightly due to his persistent struggling. To cover up he quickly looked back at Charlie "Well? Are you going to do it or what?"

"Do it?" Charlie echoed "You actually want me to shoot you?"

"You won't do it" Grant smirked "You couldn't before and you had every opportunity didn't you Charlie?"

"Shut up" Charlie muttered agitatedly.

"You'll never be able to protect them properly" Grant smirked at her "You know you won't... I mean look at Ruby...I could have done anything I wanted to her when she was here and you could do nothing about it. You..."

"Shut up!" Charlie commanded loudly as she lifted her weapon again and pressed it against his forehead. Grant stiffened realising he had pushed her too far "Just SHUT..." Charlie was interrupted by the sound of the front door slamming open.

"Looks like you're out of time..." Grant sighed in relief just as Joey and Cameron ran through the doorway. The two newcomers slid to an immediate stop at the sight in front of them.

"Charlie?" Joey whispered as she stepped forward "Charlie, put the gun down"

Charlie spared a glance at Joey before she turned her gaze back to Grant "I can't do that"

"You don't want to do this" Joey said quietly "This isn't you Charlie...Just put the gun down, okay?"

Charlie shook her head adamantly "This is the only way..."

"No!" Joey exclaimed as Charlie flexed her finger on the trigger "No, It's not. Just...Think about what you're doing for a minute. Think about the consequences...If you shoot him you'll be locked up" when Charlie remained silent Joey tentatively placed a hand on the older girl's shaking arm "What would Ruby do without you Charlie? What...What would _I_ do without you? Please put the gun down..."

Charlie appeared torn for a minute before she finally allowed the gun to drop from her hand. It hit the floor and Charlie quickly turned into Joey's arms.

"I'm sorry" she murmured tearfully "I don't know what I was thinking...I didn't mean to..."

"its okay" Joey soothed as she pulled back and gently wiped Charlie's tears away with her fingertips "It's..."

"Look out!"

Unseen by them Grant had managed to escape his loose bounds and hand lunged toward the gun on the floor. Charlie watched as if in slow motion as he picked it up and pointed at them. She quickly stepped in front of Joey just as Grant pulled the trigger.

BANG

BANG

Two loud gunshots sounded as both Grant and Cameron fired at the same time.

"Charlie?!" Joey called hoarsely as she shifted out from behind Charlie. Her eyes widened in alarm when she noticed the red stain covering Charlie's chest "CHARLIE!" she reached out and caught her girlfriend as she fell forwards and lowered her gently to the ground "CAMERON!"

Cameron looked up from where she had been handcuffing a wounded Grant and paled slightly at the sight that met her eyes. She hurriedly jumped to her feet and raced over to them.

"She was shot" Joey said tearfully as she focused on applying pressure to the wound "Charlie? Charlie stay with me..."

"Joey..." Charlie murmured drowsily.

"I'm right here" Joey reassured her as she caught Charlie's hand with her own "I'm not going anywhere...Just hang on" she looked up at Cameron "What do we do? We need an ambulance or something!"

"There's no hospital for miles" Cameron said more to herself than Joey "We'll have to drive..."

"That's ridiculous!" Joey exclaimed through her tears "By the time we get there she could be..."

"I know!" Cameron interrupted her "But it's the best thing to do for her Joey"

Joey hesitated for a moment as she looked down at her rapidly weakening wife before reluctantly agreeing.

---

"Joey!" Ruby called as she raced down the hospital corridor with Summer hot on her heels. She rushed into Joey's half hearted embrace and stayed there for a moment before pulling back "You're okay...Where's Charlie? Is she...Why have you got blood on your hands?! Oh My God...Did she shoot him? Is she in Jail right now? Can we se..."

"Ruby!" Joey interrupted the teenager's worried questions "Ruby...I have to tell you something"

"Wha...What is it?" Ruby only just noticed the tears trailing from Joey's eyes "Joey? You're really worrying me..."

"Charlie...She was shot" Joey spoke through her tears "Grant shot her"

"No" Ruby shook her head as if she could make Joey take the statement "No...Charlie's not...She's fine!"

"She's not" Joey shook her head tearfully "She's in surgery right now Rubz. They don't know if she'll..."

"Don't say it!" Ruby practically yelled as she stepped back tears clouding her vision "She...She can't be. She's FINE!"

"Ruby..." Joey started pleadingly as she reached out for the younger girl.

"No!" Ruby pulled away again and sank into a chair her tears falling quickly "It's not...It's not true!"

Joey watched helplessly as she found herself unable to offer any comfort to the girl she considered a daughter. She turned away as sobs threatened to overwhelm her.

Summer, on the verge of tears herself stepped away from Cameron and sank onto a set next to her best friend when she noticed Joey was unable to do anything "Ruby..."

Ruby looked up tearfully and threw herself gratefully into Summer's open arms.

"its okay" she soothed quietly as she ran a hand lightly over the younger girl's hair "Charlie's going to be fine...You'll see"

Ruby didn't reply and they fell into silence apart from the occasional sob. After about half an hour Ruby's tears had dried up and she now lay numbly across the seats with her head on Summer's lap while Joey paced aimlessly.

"Joey!" a voice sounded suddenly causing Joey and Ruby to look up. When she noticed it was Rachel Ruby jumped to her feet and stood at Joey's side.

"Rachel" Joey responded "is she okay? What's going on Please tell me she's going to be okay?"

"She's stable" Rachel said trying to remain calm despite the situation "The bullet missed her heart by a couple of inches so we managed to stabilise her and remove the bullet"

"Can we see her?" Ruby asked hopefully.

"Of course" Rachel nodded.

"We'll wait here" Cameron offered gently.

Ruby and Joey nodded and Ruby offered Summer a small smile as they left. They came to a stop when they finally reached the door to Charlie's room.

"There's a call button if anything happens" Rachel advised them quietly "But I should be around here somewhere anyway, okay?"

Joey nodded numbly "Thanks Rachel"

Rachel nodded and flashed a sad smiled before she turned and walked away. Joey and Ruby entered the room and had to fight to suppress tears at the sight of Charlie attached to machines again.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Ruby asked quietly as she took Charlie's hand in both of her own.

"I hope so Rubz" Joey murmured quietly. They fell into silence for a couple of minutes apart from the steady beeping from Charlie's machine. Having been concentrating on the sound Joey noticed immediately when it started to become irregular and she looked up sharply in alarm to see Charlie's stats dropping. She was about to reach for the nurses button when the monitor completely changed its tone to a constant piercing sound.

"Charlie?!" Ruby exclaimed in alarm just before Rachel rushed through the door with a team of doctors and she was moved out of the way by the bustle. She soon found herself standing by the door with Joey.

"Code Blue!" Rachel yelled springing everyone into action.

"Charging 200!" she yelled as she grabbed the paddles of the defibrillator and pressed them to Charlie's chest.

Ruby quickly looked away as tears filled her eyes.

"Charging 250!"

Joey blinked rapidly to hold back her tears as she held onto Ruby tightly.

"Charging 300!"

"Rachel..." a voice said quietly "I think it's time..."

"No!" Rachel shook her head and glanced over at a sobbing Joey and Ruby before she returned to her work.

"Charging 350!"

"Clear!"

The electric snapping sound filled the room and Ruby turned fully into Joey's embrace, sobbing painfully.

"Charging 400!"

"Rachel..." a doctor shook his head sadly "Call it"

Rachel fought back tears as she looked over at Joey and Ruby who were gazing at her in tearful disbelief.

"Time of..."

TBC


	74. Chapter 74

**Hey guys thanks so much for all of your reviews. Sort of a filler chapter here but I hope its okay anyway. **

**rubysarered: Huh...Most of my medical knowledge comes from Grey's anatomy lol...So I wasn't sure about the code blue/red thing. I looked it up though and code blue is indeed the right alert for a cardiac arrest: D**

**Hope y'all enjoy the chapter! **

Chapter 74

_"Charging 400!"_

_"Rachel..." a doctor shook his head sadly "Call it"_

_Rachel fought back tears as she looked over at Joey and Ruby who were gazing at her in tearful disbelief._

_"Time of..."_

"No!" Ruby yelled though sobs as her knees buckled slightly "Rachel you can't...You CAN'T DO THIS!" she fell to her knees taking an equally distraught Joey with her "You can't do this to me again!"

"Ruby..." Rachel began to step forward.

"I can't lose her!" Ruby sobbed as she hung onto Joey as tightly as she could "Not her"

Rachel hesitated for a moment as she watched them sobbing painfully. She took a deep breath before she turned back around and grabbed the paddles of the defibrillator "Charging 400!"

"Rachel..." a doctor began to protest.

"Clear!" Rachel yelled over him. Everyone stepped back slightly as Rachel placed the paddles on Charlie's chest. Her patient's body jumped slightly as the shock was administrated but there was no other change.

"Charging 450!"

"Rachel, It's time to stop" a doctor said as he placed his hand on Rachel's arm "It's been 2 and a half minutes"

"Back off" Rachel shrugged him off and stepped forward again "Clear!" she dropped the paddles onto Charlie's chest and held her breath "Damn it...You can't leave them Charlie! CHARGING 450!"

"Rachel STOP!"

"Clear!"

A static sound filled the room again as the shock was administrated "Come on Charlie...CLEAR!" Rachel once again placed the paddles on Charlie's chest.

"Ra..."

BEEP

"Her heart is beating" Rachel panted breathlessly as she heard the sudden sound "its beating"

"That's unbelievable" the argumentative doctor muttered in amazement "She was medically dead less than 30 seconds ago..."

"Rachel?"

A quiet unsure voice caused Rachel to look up as the other doctors began to clear out of the room.

"She's okay" Rachel reassured Joey softly "For now. I managed to get her heart to start beating again..." she glanced at Ruby who was still sobbing softly in Joey's arms "I still need to talk to you but maybe I should come back?"

Joey nodded with a teary smile "Thank you Rachel"

"Of course. I'll be back soon to talk to you and check her stats" with a quick glance at Charlie Rachel left the room tiredly.

"Rubz?" Joey whispered as she tried to draw Ruby from her heartbroken sobs "Ruby? It's okay..."

"How can it be okay?!" Ruby sobbed into Joey's shoulder "She's gone! Charlie is _gone_ Joey"

"She's not gone...She's okay" when there was no response from Ruby Joey raised her voice slightly "Ruby, are you listening?" she pulled back slightly to look into Ruby's pain filled eyes "Charlie is okay"

"But Rachel said..."

"Rachel managed to bring her back" Joey felt more tears this time of relief spring to her eyes "Charlie's okay"

"Really?" Ruby eyes glinted with hesitant hope "She's not...Gone?"

"No" Joey shook her head and offered a small smile "She's not"

Ruby scrambled up from the ground and rushed over to Charlie's bedside with Joey right behind her "She's alive?"

"She's alive" Joey confirmed as she stood at Charlie's other side and took her hand "She's a fighter...We should know that by now"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded tearfully "She is..." she placed her hand atop Charlie's and took a deep shuddering breath "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost her"

"That makes two of us" Joey whispered as she looked up from Charlie "But she's going to be okay"

"That she is" Rachel said as she walked back into the room, looking slightly exhausted "She should be fine now since the bullet missed any major organs"

"So...Why did she arrest?" Joey asked in concern "If she was okay than why would that happen?"

"It was a reaction to the surgery we performed to remove the bullet" Rachel said simply "At least that's out theory...There doesn't appear to be anything else out of the ordinary. No internal bleeding or anything so...She'll be fine. I promise"

"Why isn't she waking up?" Ruby asked in a low voice "Is she...In a coma?"

"Sort of" Rachel answered slowly "But more like a deep sleep than a coma...Her body needs time to repair itself from the shooting and the surgery"

"Are you okay?" Joey asked in concern as she noticed Rachel blinking rapidly.

"I'm fine" Rachel smiled reassuringly "I've had back-to-back surgery's all day and...I guess reviving somebody really takes it out of you" a split second later she was enveloped in Ruby's tight embrace. Though slightly surprised she returned the hug.

"Thank you so much" Ruby said tearfully "I don't know what I would have done without her..."

"It's not a problem" Rachel said with a modest shrug when they pulled back "I was doing my job"

"It's her life" Joey corrected quietly "And you were doing more than your job...If that was all you were doing you would have given up with the rest of the doctor's back there"

"Yeah well..." Rachel blushed slightly "I wasn't just going to let her die"

"Thank you" Joey said sincerely "You have no idea what you've done for use"

"Anytime" Rachel smiled as she glanced at Charlie "I'm just glad she's okay..." she looked back at Ruby "You should both go home and get some rest...But I know you won't do that. So I'm going to suggest that you go and get some coffee or something..." as Ruby began to protest she held up a hand "No arguments...You have to at least go and see Summer. I imagine the poor girl's worrying herself sick out there"

"Right" Ruby sighed but nodded anyway "I'll go..." she glanced at Joey "Do you want some coffee or anything while I'm gone?"

"Yeah...Thanks Rubz" Joey smiled and nodded at the teenager.

"Okay" Ruby dropped a kiss on Charlie's forehead, whispered an "I'll be back soon" and left the room reluctantly.

"I'll be right outside" Rachel said quietly "If you need me for anything just..."

"I know" Joey interrupted softly "Thank you Rachel"

With a nod Rachel walked out of the room.

As the door finally closed and she was left alone with Charlie, Joey finally allowed her tears to fall unhindered. She reached down and stroked Charlie's cheek lightly as sobs broke free from her throat "Damn it Charlie what were you doing?"

---

"Ruby!" Summer exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat and hurried to meet Ruby halfway down the corridor "Are you okay? Is Charlie okay? Oh My God...You've been crying again. What...Are you o...?"

"I'm okay" Ruby said tiredly as she allowed Summer to lead her back to the waiting room and sit her down on a not very comfortable seat "Charlie...She flat lined in the room and they almost called the time..."

"Oh My God" Summer whispered again as she took Ruby's hand and squeezed it lightly "Are you sure you're okay? Wait...Is _Charlie_ okay? What about Joey?"

"Charlie's going to be okay" Ruby smiled weakly "Rachel wouldn't give up on her. She was amazing. And Joey is okay too...I think"

Summer released a sigh of relief and reached up to wipe a few stray tears away from Ruby's cheek "Are you sure you're okay?" she repeated in concern.

"No" Ruby shook her head causing a few unshed tears to fall "I'm just...A bit of a mess. I think it just hit me how close I came to losing her and...I'm not okay right now"

"Okay" Summer whispered, only just noticing Ruby's shaking. She tentatively wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders and offered a reassuring squeeze "At least she's okay though, right?"

"Right" Ruby nodded in response "I don't know what I would have done if..."

"I know" Summer said softly "I know Rubz"

"I was meant to be getting coffee" Ruby said suddenly.

"Oh...Do you want me to go with you?" Summer offered.

"Do you mind?" Ruby blushed slightly "I don't really want to be alone right now..."

"I don't mind at all" Summer reassured her as they stood up. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she felt Ruby's hand slide into her own "You'll tell me if you're not okay, won't you?"

"I already told you I'm not" Ruby chuckled humourlessly as they walked along "I promise I'll tell you though"

"Good" Summer tugged Ruby to a stop next to the drinks machine "You know I worry about you...Especially right now"

"Yeah" Ruby murmured as her eyes dropped to the ground "It's going to suck when you leave me you know..."

"Ruby..."

"I know" Ruby smiled sadly as she looked back up "You have to do it" she stepped back and looked closely at the drinks machine. She raised a hand but found it was shaking so much that she couldn't push the buttons, let alone get the money into the slot.

"This is embarrassing" she muttered as she dropped her hand to her side "I'm shaking like a leaf for no apparent reason..."

"You're in shock" Summer said gently "That's a good enough reason...Don't worry. I'll get it" she pulled some money out of her pocket and proceeded to buy the drinks from the machine.

"Thanks" Ruby said gratefully as they began to walk back to the waiting room "I should probably get back to the room..."

"I figured you would be staying" Summer nodded slowly "I can stick around if you want"

"Thanks...But you should go home" Ruby smiled fondly "You need to get some sleep"

"But..."

"I'm not taking no for an answer" Ruby said firmly "You have to go home. I'll be fine. I promise"

"Okay" Summer sighed "I'll leave but text me if you need me okay? For any reason at all...And I'll be back tomorrow morning"

"Okay" Ruby smiled as she took the cups from Summer "I guess I'll see you later than..." they stayed still for a couple of moments and Ruby chuckled at the fact that they hadn't moved "And I would hug you but..." she nodded at the cups in her hand.

"Right" Summer smiled "I'll see you later" she began to move backwards but stopped at Ruby's sudden exclamation.

"Summer!"

"Yeah?" Summer asked in concern.

"thank you...for being here for me" Ruby said as she walked over to the other teen. She leaned forward and kissed her cheek "And I'll...See you later"

"Erm...Yeah" Summer managed to choke out as she blushed crimson "Um...later" she sighed to herself as she watched Ruby walk away.

"Summer!"

Summer spun around and groaned when she came face to face with Cameron "What?"

""Do you remember when I was telling you that we're leaving?"

"How could I forget?" Summer sighed miserably, her elation from only moment ago almost forgotten.

"Since Grant is in Jail now...I'm booking the flights at an earlier date" Cameron said casually "I know its short notice and all but we'll probably be leaving in two days"

"What?!" Summer's eyes widened in alarm "What do you mean?! We can't leave in two days!"

"Why not?" Cameron asked blankly.

"Charlie's been shot!" Summer exclaimed angrily "She almost died. We can't leave like this. I can't leave _Ruby_ like this!"

"Ruby again" Cameron sighed. She tilted her head slightly in contemplation "You know...I'm starting to think there's something going on between you two...Is there?"

"NO!" Summer answered sharply "I...No"

"Do you want there to be something going on?" Cameron asked knowingly "Because..."

"Shut up!" Summer spoke through gritted teeth "That has nothing to do with this Cameron. What the hell is wrong with you? You've been really weird since Marissa died and you've only gotten weirder over the past few weeks. You haven't acted like my sister since..." she was cut off as Cameron lifted a hand and slapped her hard across the face "Ow..."

"Summer..." Cameron gasped as her hand flew to her mouth in shock "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that...I'm so sorry"

"I'm not leaving" Summer said blinking back tears "Not in two days time. I'll leave when we agreed because you're my sister and I love you but...I can't leave now. I won't. If you want to get on a plane and run from your problems right now you'll have to get on a plane without me. Ruby needs me. She's hurting and she's vulnerable right now. She _needs_ me and I _refuse_ to be somebody else who abandons her..." with that she turned on her heel and walked out of the hospital.

TBC


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75

"Her stats look good" Rachel noted more to herself than to Joey or Ruby as she checked the display on Charlie's monitor "Everything's mostly regular...Or as regular as can be expected"

"If everything's normal why isn't she waking up?" Joey kept her eyes trained on Charlie as she spoke as if willing her to wake up "It's been almost two days"

"Her body needs time to heal, remember?" Rachel reminded gently as she turned to look at Joey "Don't worry. She's doing absolutely fine"

"What's going to happen?" Ruby asked softly "When she wakes up? I mean...With Grant and all?"

"I don't know" Rachel said regretfully "I'm sorry" when there was no response from either of them she motioned to the door "I'll be back later to check her stats again but if you need me..."

"Push the button" Joey finished knowingly.

"Right" Rachel nodded in confirmation before she walked out of the room, leaving silence in her wake.

"Why do you think she did it?" Ruby asked suddenly, her voice a mere whisper "Instead of arresting him?"

"I don't know" Joey admitted quietly. She finally looked up and met Ruby's eyes "I really don't know Rubz"

"I would never have thought Charlie was capable of something like that" Ruby murmured innocently as her gaze fleeted to Charlie's still features "Killing somebody"

Joey bit down on her lip to stop herself from saying what she wanted to say. Instead when she spoke she stated what she knew Ruby _needed_ to hear "She didn't kill anyone though. Maybe she wasn't even planning to. We can't know until she wakes up"

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked quietly "You've been acting really weird for the past couple of days"

"I'm fine" Joey answered emotionlessly "Really"

"Uh-huh" Ruby nodded disbelievingly "Than why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know" Joey sighed in frustration "Look...I'm sorry Ruby. I just don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

"Fine" Ruby muttered as she slumped back in her seat "I'll just shut up than"

"You know I didn't mean it like that" Joey responded, a hint of guilt in her voice "I'm sorry. I'm just...I need some time to think about this before I can talk about it...I need Charlie to wake up. And you're her daughter so...I can't really talk about it anyway"

"Whatever" Ruby said as she stood up, hurt clear on her expression "I'm just going to go than. Clearly you don't think you can talk to me anymore so..."

"Ruby, wait a minute" Joey finally released Charlie's hand and stood up to walk over to Ruby "You don't have to go. It's not you, I promise. It's just..." she sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair "This is such a mess. It's all _such_ a MESS!"

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Ruby asked in a small voice "Is it because, maybe...You're thinking about leaving us?"

"No!" Joey replied instantly "No...I would never willingly leave you _or_ Charlie. Not again. You know that I would do anything to stay with you"

"Than what is it?" Ruby persisted clearly worried about whatever Joey was hiding "Why won't you tell me?!"

"Because I don't know what's going on with me!" Joey exclaimed loudly "I just...Don't know, Okay Ruby?!"

"Right" Ruby nodded and crossed her arms defensively "I'm going to go and get some air for a while..."

"Ruby..." Joey watched in dismay as Ruby turned and left the room. She sighed and moved back over to Charlie's side taking her hand "Great..." she hesitated for a moment as she looked up at the older girl "Charlie? Charlie...You have to come back to me. I have to...I have to know why you did what you did" she kissed Charlie's hand gently as tears formed in her eyes "I need you to wake up"

---

"It seems I have the worst timing ever"

Ruby lifted her head from her hands and smiled weakly when she noticed Summer hovering unsurely next to her "Maybe you have the best time ever"

"I do?" Summer asked curiously as she took a seat next to the other teenager "You look kind of upset"

Ruby shrugged sadly "There's something wrong with Joey and she won't tell me what it is. Plus Charlie still hasn't woken up yet and I have no one to talk to about any of this..."

"You can talk to me" Summer reminded her softly "About anything you want"

"Thanks" Ruby smiled weakly "I know that...I just don't want to bother you too much"

"You don't bother me" Summer's voice dropped slightly and her gaze lowered to her hands.

"What's wrong?" Ruby asked in concern.

"Nothing...Don't worry about it" Summer looked up again and smiled rather falsely "I'm fine"

"No...You can't do this to me Sum" Ruby's expression crumbled into hurt "You can't push me away. Everybody else is doing it...Or _has_ done it. I can't handle you doing it too"

"I don't want to upset you" Summer bit her lip guiltily.

"I'm already upset!" Ruby stated "I highly doubt you could upset me anymore"

Summer closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and responding hesitantly "Cameron said she booked an earlier flight"

"Oh..." Ruby frowned in concern "Um...When?"

"Tomorrow morning" Summer answered softly.

"Tomo...Oh" Ruby's eyes widened in shock at the news "So you're leaving right now? Is this why you came by? To tell me you were..."

"I'm not leaving yet" Summer soothed as she noticed Ruby getting increasingly upset "I told Cameron that I'm not leaving any earlier than we agreed. I told her that if she wants to get on a plane she can get on one without me"

Ruby visibly relaxed in her chair "You kind of had me freaked out there Sum"

"I'm not leaving yet" Summer promised sincerely "We still have some more time"

"But not enough" Ruby admitted quietly "I wish you didn't have to leave at all"

"Ruby..."

"I know" Ruby sighed glumly "You have to do it because she's your sister...I get that. I just...I don't think you know how much you leaving me is going to hurt"

"I do" Summer countered as she lay her hand atop Ruby's "It's going to hurt me just as much you know"

"I know" Ruby responded before quickly changing the subject "So what are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd come and see if anything's going on" Summer answered "And...I wanted to make sure you were okay"

"I'm fine...Sort of" Ruby smiled faintly "But nothing's going on"

"I guess I'll go than" Summer announced as she stood up.

"Oh...Okay" Ruby looked slightly disappointed but nodded as she stood up anyway.

"I'll see you later" Summer hugged Ruby quickly and was about to pull away when Ruby tightened her embrace slightly "Rubz?"

"Will you promise me something?" Ruby whispered.

"What is it?" Summer asked in concern.

"Don't leave me without saying goodbye first" Ruby requested vulnerably "I couldn't take it if you just took off..."

"Of course" Summer whispered as she pulled back "I promise" she paused for a moment and looked around for any sign of Cameron "Do you want to go for a walk or something? It might take your mind off things..."

"sure" Ruby agreed quietly. She slipped her hand into Summer's and they walked towards the exit of the hospital together.

---

"Hmmn..." Joey stirred slightly from the restless sleep she had fallen into as she felt a soft squeeze to her hand "Wha..." she blinked fuzzily up and her eyes widened in shocked when she noticed blue eyes gazing back at her "Charlie!"

"Jo..." Charlie groaned painfully.

"It's okay" Joey stood up from her seat and moved closer to the bed "It's okay...I'll get Rachel" not wanting to leave her wife's bedside she leaned over and pressed the red button Rachel had instructed her to press if she needed anything "Are you okay?"

"Hurts" Charlie rasped painfully "What...Happened?"

"You were shot" Joey informed her wide eyed "Grant was arrested though...God, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"I'm sorry..." Charlie began though she trailed off painfully.

"It's okay" Joey reassured her as she dropped a soft kiss on Charlie's knuckles "Don't worry about that right now. It's okay. We'll talk about it later"

"Ruby..."

"She's fine" Joey smiled lightly "She went to get some air a while ago but...She's okay"

"Oh" Charlie nodded and slumped back against the pillow just as Rachel stormed through the door.

TBC


	76. Chapter 76

**Hey guys, first of all...I suck I know. I suck at updating and the writing for the last few chapters hasn't been very good but thanks to everybody who has stuck with me and is still reviewing for this fic! I really appreciate it and I promise I'm going to attempt to sort my writing out and focus more on CJ! **

Chapter 76

"This hurts" Charlie whined uncomfortably as she once again shifted position in the bed "Ow...This really hurts! Why did I let Rachel take the drugs away, again?"

"You said you didn't need them anymore" Joey looked slightly amused at Charlie's annoyance despite her growing concern "Because you want to get out of the hospital as quickly as possible"

"I want them back" Charlie pouted.

"I can go and get Rachel if you want?" Ruby offered from her other side, fully aware of the answer she would receive.

"No" Charlie shook her head instantly "If she knows I'm still in pain she'll never let me out of this place"

"You were shot" Joey stated obviously "It's obvious that you're still going to be in pain"

"I know" Charlie sighed in frustration "But I just want to go home...I've been stuck in this place for over two days. I hate hospitals..."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go home even if you're not feeling up to it?" Joey asked as she tentatively sat on the bed next to Charlie and took her hand "You could hurt yourself"

"They'll give me pain pills" Charlie shrugged with a small smile "That will keep the pain away, won't it? Anyway you know once I get home you won't let me move"

"I guess you're right" Joey chuckled softly at her own concern "But I don't think that Rachel's going to agree after..."

"After what?" Charlie frowned as Joey's expression darkened and she shared a glance with Ruby.

"Um...Nothing" Joey muttered, not wanting to relive the memory that had plagued her for the last few days "It's nothing"

"It's something" Charlie said as she narrowed her eyes at Joey and Ruby "You've both suddenly gone really quiet"

"I was being quiet anyway" Ruby offered in hopes of changing the subject.

"So what is it?" Charlie asked seemingly ignoring Ruby's statement, her eyes still glued on Joey "What happened that would stop Rachel discharging me? Is it about the complications she was talking about yesterday?"

Joey shifted uncomfortably before she looked up at Charlie, the pain of the crystal clear memory obvious in her eyes "You um...Your heart stopped beating"

"Oh" Charlie muttered, her expression slightly shocked but unfazed otherwise "But they brought me back, obviously. They started it again. So...Why would that affect Rachel's decision to let me out?"

"I don't think you get it..." Joey swallowed heavily "You died Charlie. They...they were just about to call the time"

Charlie flinched slightly at the statement her shock increasing "That's...Wow. So...Why...I mean how did I...?"

"Rachel wouldn't stop" Joey answered as she squeezed Charlie's hand gently "The other doctors were trying to get her to call it and she was about to but then...She kept going"

"Wait!" Charlie gasped looking horrified at her sudden realisation "You and Ruby weren't there for that, were you? I mean you didn't actually see me _almost die_, right?" when Joey remained silent she continued "Joey?!"

"Yes" Joey answered haltingly "We were there"

"Oh God..." Charlie murmured her gaze shifting to Ruby who had been silent through the whole conversation and was currently averting her eyes "You saw that? Are you..." she looked back at Joey lost for words "I mean..."

"We're fine" Ruby spoke up though her voice betrayed her true feelings "She brought you back so there's no reason to dwell on what happened..."

"Right" Charlie looked at Joey questioningly but the younger girl merely shrugged at her.

"Do you want some coffee or something?" Joey asked quietly as she stood up from the chair and released Charlie's hand "I think I'll go and get some..."

"Sure" Charlie sighed, feeling the obvious loss of Joey's warmth "But you'll come right back won't you?"

"I'll be back soon" Joey smiled before she leaned down and kissed Charlie softly. When she pulled back she softened her voice to a whisper "Try and talk to her" she kissed Charlie one more time before she stepped back "Do you want anything while I'm away Rubz?"

"No" Ruby shook her head "I'm fine thanks Jo"

Joey nodded and began to back away. She offered Charlie a small smile before she turned and left.

"Am I imagining things..." Charlie started her gaze slightly concerned "Or is Joey being kind of...Weird with me?"

"Joey's being weird with everyone" Ruby answered as she looked up at Charlie "Even me. It's not just you"

"You're not okay, are you?" Charlie asked bluntly "And neither is Joey"

"Of course we're not okay" Ruby answered "You died Charlie! How...How are we supposed to be okay? You have no idea how terrified I was even before you went into cardiac arrest..."

"You were thinking about Dad" Charlie murmured quietly. She glanced around the walls of the hospital room "It freaks me out just to be here after what happened. I can't even imagine..."

"I was thinking about him" Ruby nodded, slightly tearful "But I was mainly thinking about you. About what could happen...What I would do if it _did_ happen!"

"Ruby..." Charlie shifted slightly in the bed "Come here"

Ruby shook her head resolutely and continued "What would we do if we lost you Charlie? Did you even think about that before you decided to run off and play executioner with Grant?!"

Charlie flinched at the wording and opened her mouth to speak but Ruby beat her to it.

"What you did was stupid and irresponsible a-and Reckless!" Ruby said loudly "You shouldn't have done it. You shouldn't have gone after him!"

"I know it was stupid" Charlie admitted "But..."

"You were going to kill him!" Ruby exclaimed disbelievingly "You...I didn't think you would ever be able to do something like that to _anyone_!" she shook her head self deprecatingly "Maybe I'm naive or something and I imagined that you couldn't do anything wrong because for a long time you've been my main source of support or..."

"I'm not perfect" Charlie said honestly "I just...My emotions got the better of me and I lost it for a while. And when I came to my sense...it was already too late and he shot me. I'm sorry Ruby..."

"You have no idea how much you scared me" Ruby muttered "And Joey...You have no idea what's going on with Joey"

"Come here" Charlie patted the space next to her and waited for Ruby to move sit on the bed before she wrapped an arm around her shoulders "I'm sorry"

"I know you are" Ruby sighed as she shifted more into Charlie's embrace being careful not to hurt her "But you should really be telling Joey that...She's really messed up"

"Messed up?" Charlie frowned in concern "What do you mean by that?"

"She's...Different" Ruby said quietly "I don't know what's wrong with her but I know what happened really scared her. You need to talk to her"

"I will" Charlie promised her voice still concerned "I'll talk to her" they fell into a short silence for a moment before she spoke up again "So why are you being so quiet today anyway?"

"I don't really feel like talking" Ruby said quietly.

"There's something wrong" Charlie noted "Something you're not telling me"

"You don't need to worry about it" Ruby replied sadly "It's just...Summer's leaving in three days time. She's going back to England with Cameron"

"Oh" Charlie pulled her daughter closer and wrapped her arms fully around her "and you're feeling...?"

"I don't know" Ruby shrugged miserably "I don't know what I'm feeling or...What I'm supposed to be feeling. The problem is that I feel way too much"

"You've lost me" Charlie chuckled.

"That's what Joey said when I tried to explain it to her" Ruby said honestly "I just...I really don't want her to go. But there's nothing either of us can do about it"

"You two are really close" Charlie commented softly.

Ruby nodded and laughed lightly "You know...In the beginning I didn't even think I would like her much but now she's...She means a lot to me"

Charlie detected the sad tone of her daughter's voice and offered her a small squeeze of reassurance before they fell into silence.

"I don't think she's coming back" Ruby whispered suddenly "How do I deal with that? With knowing that I might never see her again?"

"I don't know Rubz" Charlie answered just as softly "I really don't know" after a moment she pulled away and smiled reassuringly at the younger girl "I have an idea...Why don't you invite Summer over tonight and we can all just sit around and mope together?"

" Summer practically lives with us" Ruby reminded her "And you're still assuming that you're going to get out"

"I will get out" Charlie said surely.

"You won't get out" Rachel corrected as she walked through the door to the room with Joey right behind her "There is no way you're getting out of this hospital today with that bullet wound"

"But I'm fine!" Charlie protested "It's doesn't even hurt much anymore"

"You're a terrible liar" Rachel shook her head in amusement "And I'm still not signing those release forms"

"I can discharge myself!" Charlie smiled triumphantly "Can't I?"

"I don't think you're well enough to go home yet" Rachel sighed "That's my professionally opinion but if you really want to leave...I can't stop you"

"Good" Charlie said as she moved to get up "Can I go now?"

"No!" Rachel exclaimed as she raised a hand "You can't get up yet. I have to get forms and I need to check you out first. You're not leaving unless I'm convinced you can make it without collapsing"

"Ugh!" Charlie groaned as she slumped back onto the bed next to Ruby "I hate hospitals..."

"Drink your coffee" Joey smiled as she handed Charlie her coffee "It'll make you feel better"

"Thanks Jo" Charlie returned the smile as she took the offered cup of coffee "Where have you been anyway?"

"I figured you needed some time to talk" Joey said thoughtfully.

"You're the best" Charlie gently tugged Joey closer and kissed her lightly "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Must have been something good" Joey laughed as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Oh!" Charlie exclaimed "Tonight is girl's night...We're going to sit around, eat unhealthy food and watch ridiculously depressing movies"

"Um...Okay" Joey looked slightly confused but nodded anyway "So I'll get the notebook, P.S I love you, A walk to remember...Any requests?"

"Homeward bound" Ruby responded.

"Seriously?" Joey couldn't help but laugh at Ruby's answer "You want to watch a movie about talking Cats and Dogs?"

"It makes her cry" Charlie chuckled as she nudged her daughter playfully.

"Shut up" Ruby mumbled as a blush covered her cheeks "It's a sad movie!"

"Homeward bound has been added to the list" Joey confirmed. When she noticed Ruby open her mouth to speak again she continued "So has your ice cream"

"You know me too well" Ruby grinned.

"So...Movies, Ice cream and cherry twizzlers" Joey nodded with a quick smile at Charlie "I think we're all set for this pity party"

"Cherry Twizzlers?" Ruby asked curiously.

"When I've had a bad day or I can't sleep I resort to Cherry Twizzlers" Charlie grinned, though her cheeks tinted pink.

"She has a secret stash" Joey chuckled "In case of emergencies"

"That's kind of sad" Ruby informed her mother, with a grin.

"Shut up" Charlie pouted "It's not my fault I have a weird addiction"

"Beyond Weird" Ruby and Joey corrected in unison. They glanced at each other in surprise before they broke into laughter.

"Yeah, Yeah laugh at me all you want" Charlie complained lightly, inwardly relieved that the tension had temporarily lifted "I can't wait to get out of this place..."

TBC


	77. Chapter 77

**Hey guys, Here's the next chapter. Thanks to all those who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Oh and Joey may seem slightly ooc in this chapter (But I think it's justified because of the circumstances. I mean...Who wouldn't freak out if they watched their wife/husband/bf/gf die?). So yeah...That's why she's out of character (Slightly). Hope you enjoy...**

Chapter 77

"Are we ever going to talk about this?!" Charlie asked in frustration as she followed Joey into their bedroom "Or are we just going to avoid the problem?"

"There is no problem" Joey answered stiffly "I'm fine. We're fine. Everything is..."

"Fine?" Charlie finished disbelievingly "Come on Joey, do you really expect me to believe that when you won't even talk to me?"

Joey took a deep breath and turned around to face her wife "I am talking to you"

"No you're not" Charlie disagreed softly "Not really"

"What am I supposed to say?" Joey asked, her shoulders slumping somewhat in defeat "What do you _want_ me to say, Charlie?"

"I want you to tell me what's wrong with you" Charlie answered firmly "I want...I want to know why we've changed"

"_We_ haven't changed" Joey said instantly though her tone was considerably softer as she noticed that Charlie looked like she was fast approaching tears.

"But something else has?" Charlie asked in confusion "I don't understand. What's changed between us? Things have been weird since I..." she glanced down at her chest where she could still feel the constant throbbing pain of her bullet wound "Since that night. I need to know what's changed!"

"You, Okay?!" Joey finally exclaimed loudly "You changed!"

"Um..." Charlie merely blinked at her in surprise for a moment "What do you mean by that? I haven't changed"

"It doesn't matter" Joey shook her head sadly before she began to walk past Charlie out of the bedroom.

"Wait!" Charlie stated firmly as she grabbed Joey's arm in a strong grip to stop her from running off "You can't just say something like that and not tell me what you mean Joey!"

"It doesn't mean anything" Joey muttered tightly "Like I said, it doesn't matter"

"It matters to me" Charlie countered "Our _marriage_ matters to me. I'm not going to let you walk away from me when I don't even know what I've done wrong! I'm not going to let what we have slip away" her gaze softened and her grip relaxed slightly "I love you too much to stand by and watch it happen"

"If you love me so much" Joey finally pulled her arm from Charlie's now loose grip and spoke tearfully "Why is it that you didn't think about me _or_ Ruby before you decided to run off and try to kill Grant? Why is it that you didn't think about how you going to prison or _dying_ would affect us?!"

"Joey..." Charlie whispered feebly.

"It doesn't matter what you say" Joey said as her tears began to fall thicker and faster "You can't take away the memories of what happened that day..." with that said she turned and walked out of the room.

Charlie stood frozen in shock for a moment before she shook her head and rushed after her wife "Joey, Wait a minute!" she ran down the stairs and after Joey towards the front door "JOEY!"

Joey finally stopped and spun around at Charlie's raised voice to respond with a yell of her own "WHAT CHARLIE?!"

Ruby and Summer who were situated in the living room exchanged worried glanced but didn't move from the couch.

"You can't leave like this" Charlie said as tears began to form in her own eyes and she stepped forward "Just...Talk to me. Please?"

"I can't" Joey took a deep breath though silent sobs still shook her body "I just need some time alone, okay? I...I need to think"

"What about?!" Charlie asked in frustration "Why won't you just talk to me?!"

"Because you didn't talk to me!" Joey exploded angrily as she too moved forward slightly, the events of the past couple of weeks finally catching up to her "You didn't talk to me about what was going on with you or anything Charlie! And you most certainly didn't think about me _or_ Ruby when you took off to kill Grant!"

"I did it to protect you!" Charlie stated in a hard voice "I did it to protect _our family_! Why don't you get that?"

"You didn't protect us!" Joey yelled tearfully her fists clenching at her sides "You forced us to watch you _die_ Charlie! You almost...Do you have any idea how that feels?!"

"Jo..." Charlie trailed off speechlessly "I'm..."

"Don't tell me you're sorry" Joey said as she dashed her tears away roughly "I can't hear that right now" she swore softly under her breath as the tears just kept on coming "You...You weren't thinking about us. You wanted revenge and you would have sacrificed anything to get it. You almost did"

"Joey, please..." Charlie bit her lips against her own tears as she began to move forwards. She stopped however as Joey took a step back, away from her.

"You didn't think about what we would do if you were gone did you?" Joey asked emotionally "You didn't even consider..."

"I was trying to protect my family!" Charlie insisted again.

"You wanted REVENGE!" Joey practically yelled "And I get that but...The fact that you were willing to give up on _us_ to get it? I don't get that. I could never..." she shook her head as tears spilled down her cheek unrelentingly "I have to go..."

"Joey..."

"I need some air" Joey interrupted her before she turned around and walked out of the house. The door slammed closed behind her.

Charlie swallowed heavily as her own tears continued.

"I have to go after her" Ruby whispered as she tugged at Summer's hand "Sum? I'm going to go, okay? Talk to Charlie"

"What?!" Summer's eyes widened in alarm "No...Ruby, I can't do that. You know I'm not very good at the whole comforting thing..."

"You're good with me"

"That's different!" Summer protested "Rubz..."

"Please, Summer?" Ruby questioned looking close to tears herself "I just...I have to go after Joey. And Charlie..."

"Fine" Summer sighed but nodded anyway "I'll talk to her"

"Thank you!" Ruby hugged Summer tightly before she pulled away and rushed over to Charlie.

"It'll be okay" she whispered as she hugged her mother quickly. She quickly pulled away and rushed out of the door. Charlie didn't even seem to notice either of these actions.

"Oh Man..." Summer whispered as she wiped her suddenly clammy hands on her jeans. She hesitantly moved over to Charlie and waved a hand in front of her eyes "Charlie?"

"Huh?" Charlie looked up at her and blinked rapidly causing tears to fall down her cheeks "Summer?"

"Come on" Summer took Charlie's arm and pulled her gently towards the couch where she set her down lightly "Um..." she bit her lip and tried to think of what to do "Tea! I'll make you some tea..." she nodded to herself and rushed out of the room, silently cursing herself.

Charlie watched her go and sighed heavily. The teenager returned a couple of minutes later with a steaming cup of tea in one hand and a box of Kleenex in the other. She handed them both to Charlie and hovered apprehensively next to her.

"You can sit down you know" Charlie said tearfully.

"Oh! Right..." Summer blushed as she sank down onto the couch next to Charlie "I'm sorry, I'm not really good at the whole comforting thing or, or e-even the crying which is surprising since Ruby cries a hell of a lot...Not that I'm trying to say anything by that. I mean Ruby is the strongest person I know and well...I'm fine with being there for her, it's just...Other situations I tend to get all flustered and panicky and I usually make a fool of myself and make the other person feel even worse than they did before which is definitely not good at a time like this. I'm actually kind of inept..."

"Breathe Summer" Charlie smiled through her tears.

"Right" Summer said finding herself suddenly breathless "Ruby usually stops me before I get that far...Sorry"

"It's fine" Charlie shook her head and focused on the tea in her hand.

"So...Um, do you want to talk about it?" Summer questioned quietly.

"No" Charlie answered tearfully "Not really" she glanced sidelong at the teenager "I think Joey kind of hates me right now..."

"Joey doesn't hate you" Summer shook her head instantly "You know Joey she couldn't hate you. She's just upset and hurt right now"

"I hurt her" Charlie whispered more to herself than Summer "I hurt both of them by bringing Grant into our lives. It's my fault"

"It's not your fault!" Summer protested firmly "It's his and _only _his!"

"I shouldn't have done what I did" Charlie murmured "I shouldn't have put them through that. I should have had more control over myself...Over my emotions"

"I thought Cameron's rape was my fault" Summer blurted out.

"What?" Charlie frowned at the exclamation "What do you mean?"

"I-It was after Marissa died" Summer said unsurely "Cameron was a mess. Ignoring me and going to random bars. Then one night we had a huge argument and she took off to one of her sleazy bars. I was upset so...I drank until I passed out. The next morning Cameron was bruised and battered. I couldn't help but think that maybe it was my fault for not being able to help her...Because I let my emotions control me" she fell into silence for a moment before she shook her head and looked up at Charlie "Anyway my point is that it isn't your fault that you lost control. You're only human"

Charlie nodded slowly her teary gaze fixed thoughtfully on Summer "Does Cameron know about that?"

"No" Summer shook her head honestly "She doesn't and she's not going to either. Even though Ruby wants me to have it out with her..."

"I should go after her" Charlie murmured in realisation "Joey, I mean"

"Maybe you should let her cool down?" Summer suggested tentatively "Ruby's with her"

"Maybe" Charlie frowned as she leaned her head on her hand. She turned it slightly to look at Summer "Tell me something. Anything to distract me"

"Um..." Summer looked lost for what to say for a brief moment "Erm...Cameron and I are leaving in a couple of days. Back to England" she nodded to herself and smiled sardonically "I don't know what I'm going to do"

"What you're going to do?"

"Ruby" Summer said simply "Ruby is the first person I've let get close to me for a while...I don't think I can do it again. When I go back to England...There's a chance I won't come back"

"It's going to be okay" Charlie whispered as she placed her hand on Summer's arm.

---

"LEAVE ME ALONE RUBY!"

"JOEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" Ruby yelled through her pants as she chased after the other ridiculously fast girl "JOEY, C'MON!" she felt a flash of relief when Joey finally stopped right next to the edge of the ocean "Joey..." she caught up to Joey and stopped next to her breathing heavily.

"I know you don't want to talk to me" Ruby said through her gasps for air "And it was probably not a very good idea to chase after you but..."

"What?" Joey asked through her tears as Ruby trailed off "What are you going to say Rubz?" she dropped down onto the sand, her shoulder shaking with almost silent sobs.

"I'm sorry" Ruby whispered as she knelt down next to Joey and placed a hand on her shoulder "I'm sorry that you feel you can't talk to me and..."

"How could she do it?!" Joey questioned tearfully "How could she just..." she shook her head in disbelief.

"She was trying to protect us" Ruby answered quietly "She lost control because she was trying to protect us...because she loves us!"

"Did she though?" Joey glanced at a surprised Ruby "Did she really protect us? Are you seriously telling me that you don't think about what happened at that hospital?"

"No...I'm not saying that" Ruby shook her head sadly "I do think about it but...We need to try to understand Joey. We need to understand that Charlie was just being who she is. She's not a cold blooded killer but she would do _anything_ to stop us getting hurt. Including breaking rules and taking risks. That's just who she is"

"I don't know what to do" Joey confessed in a whisper "I keep thinking about what I would do if I lost her and...It terrifies me."

"Talk to her" Ruby suggested softly "You need to go home and talk to her Joey. Let her explain. I was just as pissed off as you in the beginning but if you talk about it you'll be fine" she lowered her voice slightly "I really don't want you two to break up"

"We're not going to" Joey reassured her quietly as she pulled the teen into her arms "I promise"

---

When Joey and Ruby finally walked back to the house it was just turning dark. Joey unlocked the door and entered the house with Ruby just behind her before they made their way slowly to the living room.

"Charlie went upstairs" Summer said quietly as she looked up at them from the couch. Joey nodded and left without a word.

"Hey" Ruby whispered as she sank into the half embrace Summer offered her "Is Charlie okay?"

"She's still kind of upset" Summer admitted softly "I'm sorry I tried to make her feel better and I even told her about that thing with Cameron"

"The fact that she slapped you?" Ruby asked feeling anger surface at the thought "Or the other thing?"

"The other thing" Summer chuckled "And the slapping thing is okay...It didn't even hurt much"

"I don't care" Ruby huffed "She shouldn't have done it"

Summer shrugged and they fell into a comfortable silence.

---

"Hey" Joey whispered as she leaned on the doorway to the room she shared with Charlie "I'm sorry about before..."

"You don't have to apologise" Charlie said as she stood up "It was my fault"

"I was being stupid" Joey admitted as tears formed once again in her eyes "I shouldn't have said all of that stuff. I know that you would never willingly hurt me or Ruby. You were only trying to protect us"

"I was irrational though" Charlie said "You have every right to be angry at me"

"Promise you won't do it again" Joey requested tearfully "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you. I can't even imagine..."

"I promise" Charlie said sincerely as her own tears surfaced "I..." she was cut off as Joey rushed forward and kissed her passionately. Though surprised Charlie responded quickly.

"I love you" Joey whispered as she pulled back slightly "I love you so much"

"I love you too" Charlie responded honestly before she kissed the other woman again and walked them back until they fell onto the bed.

TBC


	78. Chapter 78

**Hey guys! Thanks for your reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate them. As for this chapter...I have a question (Which I know I've asked quite a few times already but I just want to makes sure). It's a yay for Rummer, yeah? Most of you voted yes the last time I asked but I just wanted to make sure because I've never actually shown their relationship/feelings outwardly more like...Just hinted at it (Whereas in this chapter it's suggested way more strongly). Kind of. I would appreciate it if you guys let me know because I really don't want to write something you don't want to read. Thanks in advance...and Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 78

"Joey?" Ruby questioned as she chewed thoughtfully on the slice of toast in her hand "What was your first time like?"

Charlie promptly choked on her orange juice and Joey froze in place.

"Jesus" Charlie coughed and lifted a hand to her stinging throat "Warn me the next time you decide to do that Rubz" she paused as something occurred to her "Wait...Why are you asking that? Y-You don't even have a boyfriend"

"Uh..." Ruby blushed and slid down in her chair slightly "I just...I was just wondering. I don't really mean first time as in 'first time'...more like the first time you were with someone you were in love with"

"Um..." Joey sat down next to Charlie and reached for her hand "To be honest Ruby...My first time was nothing special. I mean...It wasn't what it should have been because it didn't really mean much"

"Oh" Ruby bit her lip contemplatively "But what about after that? The first time you were with somebody you loved?"

"That was...different" Joey smiled softly "It was better. So...Why are you asking anyway? Do you like somebody or..."

"No!" Ruby shook her head quickly "There's just um...This person I happen to know and they're kind of confused about how they feel about...Someone"

"A person you happen to know?" Charlie asked sceptically.

"Uh-huh" Ruby nodded "They know they love this person as a friend but they're not sure if they're _in _love with them. Um...Or maybe they're in really deep 'Like' with the person"

Charlie and Joey exchanged equally confused looks.

"So maybe they like the person as more than a friend?" Ruby suggested vaguely "But they don't really know how to deal with these more than platonic feelings because they're completely knew"

"I'm sorry Rubz" Joey apologised "We're kind of lost"

Ruby sighed heavily "Okay. I'll give you some examples and you can tell me if they suggest more than friendly feelings, okay?" she waited for two nods before she continued "Um...A constant desire to remain in physical contact" as she spoke her gaze fell to Joey and Charlie's entwined hands "For instance holding hands or casual touching"

"Right" Charlie nodded for her to go on.

"The feeling that you want to know everything about them" Ruby continued to list quietly, her tone slightly sad "The feeling that you never want to see them hurt and...The feeling you'll fall apart if they leave"

"And?" Joey prompted.

"Erm..." Ruby blushed slightly and averted her eyes "Maybe the occasional urge to kiss them? Though um...The person I'm talking about isn't really sure about the physical stuff. At all"

"This person..." Charlie leaned forward and gazed closely at her daughter "Are they male or female?"

"Female"

"And the other person is...?"

"That's why it's so complicated for her!" Ruby exclaimed "She isn't sure how she's feeling because the other person is a girl and she's never had feelings for girls before...This is all insane to her. And that's kind of why she asked me for help. I mean..."

"Oh I get it" Joey said in realisation "She thinks because we..." she motioned between herself and Charlie "Are together that Ruby would have some kind of insight"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded quickly "That's it"

Charlie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Ruby's instantaneous answer "Ruby I know what you just said and all but...Is this about Summer?"

"Summer?" Ruby's eyes widened in alarm "W-What do you mean?"

"I mean is she the person you're talking about" Charlie answered softly "Is she confused about things?"

"Oh" Ruby laughed nervously in relief "No...No, it's not Summer"

Joey tilted her head in silent contemplation of the teenager.

"Did I hear my name?" Summer yawned tiredly as she walked through the door in her PJ's.

"We were talking about the weather" Ruby offered a small smile as Summer sank down onto the seat next to her "Y'know...Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter..."

"Right" Summer laughed.

"So what are you doing today?" Charlie asked suddenly "Anything interesting?"

"Packing" Summer answered miserably "I leave tomorrow so it's probably a good idea to get it out of the way before then"

"And that's where I'll be" Ruby frowned.

"You know you don't have to..."

"But I want to" Ruby held up a hand to stop Summer's protests "I mean it"

Charlie and Joey exchanged a questioning look before the latter stood up from her chair.

"I'm going for a walk" she said as she stretched slightly "Are you coming Charlie?" she glanced at Charlie when there was no response and smirked when she realised the older girl's gaze was fixed firmly on her midriff "Charlie?"

"Huh?" Charlie looked up sharply from Joey's tone stomach and blushed when she realised she'd been caught staring "Oh yeah...I'm coming" she stood up from her seat and slipped her hand into Joey's "We'll be back soon, okay?"

Ruby and Summer chuckled to themselves as Joey pulled Charlie out of the room.

"Ready to start packing?" Ruby questioned sadly.

"No" Summer winced slightly "But I have to anyway"

---

"You're thinking about something" Joey observed as she turned on her side on the sand to look down at Charlie "What is it?" she lightly trailed a finger down Charlie's cheek earning herself a bright smile.

"I don't know" Charlie shrugged "I'm just thinking about Ruby...How Summer leaving is going to affect her"

"Should we be worried?" Joey asked in concern "I mean I know that Ruby and Summer are close but...It's not like she's leaving for good, right? She'll be back"

"Close is an understatement...Apparently Summer doesn't know if she'll be back" Charlie frowned "But she doesn't think so"

"That's not good" Joey mumbled worriedly "What should we do?"

"There's nothing we can do" Charlie said sadly "We just have to wait until Ruby needs us. Because if I know my daughter she is not going to deal with this well"

"What do you mean?" Joey questioned "Because she thinks of Summer leaving her as being abandoned again?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded in response, sadness shining in her eyes. She rolled onto her side and looked at Joey closely "I guess her issues with abandonment are partly my fault. I mean...I did leave her, after all. Not just once. Going after Grant was definitely a bad idea"

"You can't think like that" Joey said quietly "Ruby understand why you had to do what you did. When she was born and with Grant. She doesn't resent you for it"

"I know. I know that" Charlie whispered gloomily "But it builds up...Me, Mum, Dad and now Summer. It's going to be tough for her"

"We'll be there" Joey shuffled closer and kissed Charlie lightly "We'll help her through it"

"Do you?" Charlie asked suddenly, her voice still low "Resent me for going after Grant I mean"

"Not now" Joey shook her head honestly "I understand why you did it now...Sort of"

"I am sorry" Charlie said for the hundredth time "I really didn't mean to"

Joey cut her off with a soft kiss "Stop apologising"

"Do you...Do you think Ruby was really affected by what happened?" Charlie asked nervously "I mean in the operating room"

"I don't know" Joey responded quietly as she laid her hand on Charlie's side "Maybe. But there's no use in thinking about that right now, okay? We just have to be here for her when she needs us"

"Right" Charlie took a deep breath and closed her eyes before looking back at Joey with a slight smile on her face "You know I love you, right?"

"I know" Joey smiled softly "I love you too"

"Good" Charlie leaned forward and pressed their lips together gently before rolling onto her back playfully pulling Joey on top of her without breaking the kiss.

---

"I think that's about it from here" Summer said as she glanced at the bags on the floor. The day had passed quickly and they had only just finished packing her stuff up "I have a few more things at your place but other than that...I'm all set to go"

"Right" Ruby nodded slowly from her position on the bed "I guess you're really going than"

"I'll come back sometime" Summer said reassuringly as she sank onto the bed and gripped Ruby's hand lightly "When I can. I promise"

"And if you can't?" Ruby averted her eyes to the ground "What happens then?"

"We'll work something out" Summer said strongly "We'll call or IM or...Something!" she ducked her head slightly to meet Ruby's downcast eyes "Ruby? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Ruby smiled sadly "I'm just...Kind of...Trying not to cry right now. I've done enough of that for a lifetime in the past few days"

"You'll be okay" Summer wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her close "You still have Charlie and Joey, right? They'll get you through this. In fact I bet you don't even notice I'm gone. It'll be just like it is now except I won't be her physically. That's all"

"I think it's safe to say I'll notice you're gone" Ruby chuckled at Summer's statement "You're noisy enough"

"Hey!" Summer laughed and nudged the other girl lightly "I'm not loud" they fell into an awkward silence for a couple of minutes before she spoke up "This is kind of ridiculous"

"What is?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"The tension" Summer said as she jumped up from the bed "We're never this on edge with each other"

"I guess it's because I know time is running out" Ruby shrugged sadly "It's not exactly a happy notion"

"Let's just...Pretend it's not happening!" Summer suggested "We can go back to normal for tonight and not think about what's going to happen tomorrow" she grinned and held out a hand to Ruby "Are you in?"

"I'm in" Ruby took Summer's hand and let herself be pulled gently off the bed "How does my place and a ridiculously scary movie sound?"

"Heavenly" Summer laughed as she slung an arm across Ruby's shoulder and they walked towards the bedroom door together.

TBC


	79. Chapter 79

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter! Thanks so much for all of the reviews. Oh and don't worry about Summer leaving. She'll be back really soon. I promise. Her leaving is just important for character development and drama. But Rummer is definitely on. Oh and there's a much more obvious moment between them in this chapter so I hope you enjoy. I'm trying to even the fic out between Rummer and Jarlie so you guys don't get bored (Especially Jarlie fans which is basically of you). I don't want it to seem like I'm making the fic into a one couple story so I hope this chapter is okay :) Hope you enjoy! **

Chapter 79

Charlie groaned as she was rudely awoken by something bouncing on her bed but refused to open her eyes to acknowledge it.

"Charlie!" Ruby's voice sounded in a loud whisper "Are you awake?"

"No" Charlie muttered sleepily as she pulled the covers over her head "Go 'Way"

"I need to talk to you!" Ruby spoke, her voice still soft as she prodded Charlie in the ribs "It's important...Charlie!"

"I'm sleeping" Charlie mumbled.

"Chaaaarlie!" Ruby whined as she yanked the covers off the older woman causing her to groan in annoyance "I really need to talk to you!"

"Hmmn...What Time is it?" Charlie blinked against the light and squinted over at the alarm clock "Fuck's sake Ruby, its 5:30 am!" she grabbed the pillow and placed it on top of her head "It's not even light yet!"

"I really need to talk to you!" Ruby said pleadingly "Please Charlie?"

Charlie sighed and threw her pillow in the approximate vicinity of her daughter "Fine I'm up" she glanced to her left only to find the space next to her vacant "Where's Joey?"

"I don't know" Ruby shrugged "I think she went for a run or something"

"At 5:30 in the morning?" Charlie asked sceptically as she sat up in the bed and gazed closely at Ruby "Why is everybody awake so early?"

"Not everybody" Ruby corrected with the hint of a smile "Just me and Joey...And well you too now"

Charlie rolled her eyes "Yeah, thanks for that Rubz"

"Sorry" Ruby apologised guiltily "I just...Needed someone to talk to"

"its okay" Charlie reassured her quietly "Don't worry about it" she tilted her head in silent contemplation of her daughter "So what is it you need to talk about?"

"I was kind of wondering..." Ruby faltered slightly and shifted slightly closer to Charlie "Do you remember when you first met Joey?"

"Yeah" Charlie nodded slightly confused at the line of questioning "I do but..."

"You were straight, right?" Ruby asked "Or at least you thought you were at the time? I mean you'd never been attracted to women before?"

"No I hadn't" Charlie shook her head honestly "Not until Joey"

"So how did you deal with it?" Ruby leaned forward slightly "The fact that you had feelings for her?"

"I didn't" Charlie admitted with a small shrug "You were there Rubz. I screwed it up, remember?"

"But you did deal with it eventually" Ruby responded "Even though you had never felt like that before. I mean...How did you deal with the physical stuff?"

"Physical stuff as in...Sex?" Charlie questioned.

"No!" Ruby blushed brightly "Well...Maybe. Yes. But kind of...Physical stuff that comes before thinking about that. Just normal relationship stuff. I mean..." Ruby frowned in exasperation "I don't know how to explain it"

"Um..." Charlie hesitated for a moment sensing that Ruby was struggling to express herself "I guess I just did what felt right. I didn't rush myself and Joey didn't make me think that I had to" when Ruby remained silent she continued tentatively "What is this about Ruby?"

Ruby shrugged dejectedly "The friend I was telling you about. She's confused"

"Uh-huh" Charlie nodded thoughtfully "What is it she's confused about exactly?"

"She thinks she's attracted to this girl" Ruby explained softly "Her best friend to be exact but she's not really sure whether what she is feeling is what she thinks she's feeling. And she's definitely not sure about the physical stuff. She's not even sure if S...The other girl feels the same way"

"I have to admit I'm really confused Rubz" Charlie offered her daughter a small smile "But I would tell her not to rush herself. To do whatever she's comfortable doing but to be sure first"

"What if she's running out of time?" Ruby murmured in a low voice.

"What?" Charlie frowned having not heard Ruby due to the low volume of her voice.

"Uh...Nothing" Ruby said quickly "Nothing at all"

"Right" Charlie nodded though she still looked suspicious "So how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay"

"How are you really feeling?" Charlie countered knowingly.

Ruby sighed and smiled weakly "Terrible. I don't think I'm ready for this at all. Even though I've had time to think about it...It doesn't seem real that she's leaving today"

"Come here" Charlie patted the vacant space next to her. When Ruby moved to her side she wrapped an arm around the teenager's shoulders "You'll be fine Rubz. It's not like you're never going to se...Um talk to her again"

"But you admit that I might never see her again?" Ruby asked in defeat "I know that she might never come back. I get that but...I just can't imagine her not being around all of the time"

"You're really close to her" Charlie marvelled softly for the hundredth time in the last month or so.

"Yeah" Ruby whispered sadly as she laid her head on Charlie's shoulder "I am"

"You'll be okay" Charlie said again "We'll work something out. I promise"

"I wish she didn't have to go" Ruby confessed softly "I don't know what I'm going to do when she leaves. I know it sounds kind of pathetic but that's just how I feel"

"You can still call her" Charlie said optimistically "You can write to her, IM her..."

"It's not really the same as her being physically here though" Ruby said miserably "And I don't want to upset her even more by telling her how I'm really feeling about her leaving. Not that she doesn't know or feel the same way but...I don't know. I hate it"

Charlie nodded understandingly but otherwise remained silent.

"I'm going to go" Ruby said as she pulled away from Charlie "I'll leave you to go back to sleep. Sorry for waking you up"

"its fine" Charlie smiled comfortingly "I'm here whenever you need me. I'm getting up in a minute anyway. I'm awake now"

Ruby nodded and turned to the door.

"Ruby?"

"Yeah?" Ruby responded as she turned back around.

"You should talk to Summer" Charlie suggested gently.

"About what?" Ruby asked in alarm, her thoughts instantly diverting to their first conversation.

"The fact that she's leaving" Charlie answered somewhat confused at her daughter's panicked reaction.

"Oh, right...I will" Ruby laughed nervously before she turned and walked out of the room.

"Weird" Charlie muttered thoughtfully.

---

"Hey!" Joey grinned when Charlie walked into the kitchen "What are you doing up so early"

"Ruby woke me up" Charlie answered as she walked over to Joey and kissed her lightly "She needed to talk. What were _you_ doing up so early this morning?"

"I went for a run" Joey smiled softly "I just needed to think"

"Anything I should be worried about?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Not really" Joey shook her head and leaned back against the counter "I'm just really worried about Ruby to be honest"

"Me too" Charlie nodded in agreement "But maybe we're overreacting?"

"Summer leaving is going to majorly affect her" Joey said worriedly "I don't know how it's going to but...I'm worried"

"Ruby's strong" Charlie said unsurely "She'll get through it"

"I hope so" Joey sighed "Doesn't stop us from worrying though, right?"

"Absolutely" Charlie grinned touched by how much Joey cared about Ruby "You know I love you, right?" she leaned forward and kissed her wife slowly.

"I know" Joey laughed "I love you too but...I really need a shower"

"Great idea" Charlie smiled as she began to kiss her way down Joey's jaw to her neck "Did I tell you I'm trying to think of ways to save water?"

"No" Joey responded slightly breathless as Charlie moved backwards pulling her gently with her "I don't think you did"

"Well I am" Charlie slipped a hand under Joey's shirt and kissed her firmly "Starting with the rule that we must save water whenever possible for instance..." she nipped gently at Joey's neck with her teeth causing her to release a soft gasp "Not using too much water in the shower"

"I like the way you think" Joey grinned and kissed Charlie passionately as they continued to walk backwards, out of the kitchen and towards the shower.

---

Summer blinked rapidly against the light that filtered in through the window, her eyes instantly falling on Ruby who was already awake "Hey" she coughed slightly to clear the husky sound of her voice.

"Hey" Ruby smiled weakly.

"What are you doing up already?" Summer grinned as she sat up "It's not like you to drag yourself out of bed before 11 unless you absolutely have to"

"Hey!" Ruby protested "Are you suggesting I'm lazy?"

"Yes" Summer laughed.

"Whatever" Ruby pouted playfully "Maybe if your snoring hadn't kept me awake..."

"I do not snore!" Summer protested.

"Right" Ruby shook her head.

"So why _are _you up so early?" Summer asked curiously.

Ruby shrugged "I couldn't sleep"

"Oh" Summer responded monosyllabically and a short silence settled between them.

"You have bed head" Ruby grinned as she ruffled Summer's hair "Cute"

"Shut up" Summer laughed and nudged Ruby playfully "I do not!" nevertheless she lifted her hands and ran them through her untidy dark hair.

"Yeah, right" Ruby rolled her eyes and flopped down on the bed next to Summer "So...Are you ready for this?" she turned her head to look at the other girl closely, her breath catching in her throat when she realised how close they actually were.

"Not at all" Summer whispered honestly "Are you?"

"No" Ruby sighed.

"You'll be okay" Summer smiled weakly as she squeezed Ruby's hand gently.

---

"So, I guess this is it" Ruby said quietly as she glanced between the car in front of them and Summer "You're all packed, ready to go..."

"Yeah" Summer sighed disdainfully "I guess I am" she glanced over at Joey, Charlie and Cameron who were talking between themselves in an attempt to give them as much privacy as possible. Her gaze flickered back to Ruby who was avoiding looking at her "This is kind of...Awkward. And Surreal"

"Yeah" Ruby chuckled sadly "I guess it is" she looked back at Summer sincerely "I wish you didn't have to go"

"Me too" Summer whispered.

"We could take off in the car" Ruby suggested jokingly "We could masquerade as Thelma and Louise"

"I'd rather not drive off a cliff" Summer laughed "But you know I'd go anywhere with you" She watched in concern as Ruby swallowed heavily and turned her gaze the sky "Hey..."

"I'm sorry" Ruby said tearfully, her voice cracking with emotion "I was really trying not to cry but I...I just..."

"Hey" Summer stepped forward and placed her hands on Ruby's cheeks gently forcing their eyes to meet "its okay" she pulled the younger girl into a hug as her own tears welled up "It's okay"

"I don't want you to go" Ruby confessed in a whisper as she held tightly to her best friend "I really don't want you to go"

"You'll be okay" Summer said as she pulled back to look tearfully into Ruby's eyes "And I promise I'll call you everyday"

Ruby nodded and attempted to dash her tears away "This doesn't seem real"

"I know" Summer agreed as she glanced between the car and Ruby "I can't believe I'm actually leaving..." she bit her lip obviously trying to hold her emotions back for Ruby's sake.

"You know I care about you a lot, don't you?" Ruby took a slight step forward.

"Of course I do" Summer said sincerely "I care about you a lot too"

"And I'm going to miss you like crazy" Ruby confided honestly.

Summer simply nodded and squeezed Ruby's hand gently "Ditto"

Ruby smiled softly though her stomach was fluttering with nerves "Sum?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you do me a favour?" Ruby requested vulnerably.

"Anything" Summer responded sincerely.

"Close your eyes"

Summer looked slightly confused at the request but willingly shut her eyes.

Ruby glanced over at Charlie, Joey and Cameron to see they all had their backs turned. She turned back to Summer and took a deep breath before she leaned forward tentatively. She hesitated halfway and Summer seemed to sense her close vicinity as her lips twitched upwards. Before she could alarm herself into backing out Ruby raised a hand to Summer's cheek and closed the tiny amount of space between them until their lips met softly. She lingered innocently for a couple of moments before pulling back breathless despite the relative chasteness of the kiss.

Summer released a soft gasp of surprise as soon as their lips parted and she blinked her eyes open to look at Ruby in confusion "Um..."

"I just..." Ruby shifted nervously on the spot "I kind of wanted to show you..."

"I understand" Summer smiled softly and gave Ruby's hand another reassuring squeeze. They gazed closely at each other for a moment as if searching for answers before Summer looked away "I should probably be going"

"Oh...Right, yeah" Ruby once again bit her lip to hold back approaching tears "I guess this is...Goodbye than?"

"No" Summer shook her head and pulled Ruby into her arms "This is 'See you later'"

"Right" Ruby smiled weakly as they pulled away "I guess I'll see you later than"

"Definitely" Summer said optimistically. She leaned forward and kissed Ruby's cheek softly "You won't even realise I'm gone. I promise"

"I doubt that" Ruby shrugged.

"So...I'm going" Summer said again though she had yet to release Ruby's hand "Now..." she forced herself to Slowly release Ruby's hand and stepped back. Cameron, noticing the movement walked over to the car after saying goodbye to Joey and Charlie.

"I'll see you later" Ruby whispered sadly.

"Yeah..." Summer nodded "I'll call you" she offered Ruby a soft smile before she reluctantly got into the car and put her seatbelt on. She waved weakly as they pulled away from the curb and started down the street. It wasn't until Ruby was fully out of sight that she allowed her tears to fall unhindered. She quickly switched the CD player on and turned away from Cameron so her tears remained hidden.

---

"Hey" Charlie whispered as she wrapped her arms around her daughter from behind "Are you okay?"

"No" Ruby shook her head between soft sobs "Not really"

"You'll be okay" Joey said as she moved to Ruby's side and grasped her hand "We're right here if you need us"

"She's gone" Ruby whispered in realisation "She's really gone" she turned around in Charlie's embrace and sobbed into her shoulder.

"It's okay" Charlie tightened her hold and shared a concerned look with Joey.

TBC


	80. Chapter 80

**Hey guys here's the next chapter! Thanks again for all of your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. Hope you enjoy this one! :) **

Chapter 80

"Honey, I'm home!" Charlie called jokingly as she walked through the door and tugged her jacket off. She paused for a moment expecting a reply but frowned when she didn't receive one "Heeelooo?" she walked idly through the kitchen to the living room, stopping abruptly when she found nobody there.

"Hey"

Charlie jumped slightly as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and she whirled around quickly only to come face to face with Joey "Joey..."

"Jumpy much?" Joey smirked before she planted a soft kiss on Charlie's lips "Who else would it be?"

Charlie shrugged "It didn't seem like anybody was here...Where were you anyway?"

"Upstairs" Joey sighed, her expression darkening quickly.

"Ruby's still in her room?" Charlie asked in concern as her gaze flitted briefly to the ceiling.

"She went straight up there when she got back from school" Joey answered quietly "She didn't look so great"

"So exactly the same as the past week and a half" Charlie muttered as she stepped back and sank onto the couch "I really don't know what to do" she reached up and rubbed her shoulder painstakingly.

"Long day at work?" Joey asked, slightly worried as she perched on the arm of the couch next to her lover.

"You could say that" Charlie winced "Some guy we were tracking knocked me over and I hurt my shoulder"

"Is it bad?" Joey tentatively laid her hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"Just bruised I think" Charlie shrugged though the movement caused her to release a soft whimper of pain "Ow"

"Maybe you should go to the hospital" Joey suggested nervously "You might have really hurt it"

"It's fine" Charlie offered Joey a small smile "Anyway I think Rachel's kind of sick of us after all of the time we've spent there in the last year" sensing Joey was about to continue she continued slightly more seriously "Plus we have too much going on around here for me to be going to the hospital"

"Ruby?"

"Yeah" Charlie confirmed sadly "Ruby"

"Well if you're not going to the hospital..." Joey said as she stood up from the arm of the chair "I'll be back in a minute"

"Wha..." Charlie trailed off looking perplexed as Joey walked out of the room "Okaaaay" she rubbed idly at her throbbing shoulder for a moment before Joey walked back into the room with a first aid kit in her hands "What's that for?"

"I'm going to fix you up!" Joey grinned as she sat back on the arm of the chair "Which means you'll need to take your shirt off"

"Yeah?" Charlie smirked suggestively as she began to unbutton the shirt "I think you're just trying to get me naked Collins"

"Well you could be right there" Joey grinned though her expression instantly turned to alarm as Charlie's shirt dropped from her shoulders "I thought you said it was 'Just a bruise'?!"

"It is just a bruise" Charlie turned her head slightly to look down at her injured shoulder "A big bruise but still just a bruise"

"A very big black and blue bruise" Joey said as she reached out and touched Charlie's shoulder with her fingertips. Despite the tentativeness of the action Charlie winced as soon as her skin was touched "Ouch!"

"Sorry" Joey apologised as she pulled her hand back "Charlie..."

"No hospitals" Charlie interrupted quickly "I'll be fine. It's just a bruise"

"Okay. Fine" Joey sighed and opened the first aid kit at her side. She pulled out a tube of cream and glanced regretfully at Charlie "This is going to hurt like hell"

"I can take it" Charlie grinned jokingly "Just...Be quick"

"Right" Joey nodded and squirted the cream onto her fingers "Hmm...Pretty Cream"

"What?" Charlie looked at the cream which was white with pink fragments "Oh, right..." she shook her head in amusement.

"Okay, ready?" Joey asked as she lifted her hand. She waited for Charlie's nod before she placed the cream on Charlie's shoulder and rubbed it in as quickly but as gently as she could.

"That wasn't so bad" Charlie said as Joey removed her hand "The pressure hurt a little bit but it didn't hurt too much. I thought you said it would hurt like hell?"

"Just wait a minute" Joey advised knowingly.

"What do you...Oh" Charlie's eyes widened in sudden pain "Okay...Ow, Ow, Ow...That Burns. Ouch, Fuck OW!"

"Language" Joey chuckled as she dropped a kiss on Charlie's head "I told you it would hurt"

"You didn't tell me it would burn!" Charlie exclaimed painfully.

"It'll go away in a minute" Joey smiled "Anyway imagine how my fingers are feeling right now"

"Imagine how they're feeling _where_?" Charlie bit her lip flirtatiously.

Joey chuckled despite the blush that crept up her cheeks at Charlie's suggestive tone "I'm sure you would be in a hell of a lot _more_ pain if what you're thinking about was actually...Y'know"

"Yeah" Charlie grimaced at the thought "I think I'm going to go and get changed then check on Rubz"

"Okay" Joey nodded unsurely "I don't really think she's in the mood for talking though. She pretty much ignored me"

"This isn't like her" Charlie sighed dolefully "She hasn't come out of her room for a week and a half...Apart from going to school obviously"

"She's hurting" Joey whispered thoughtfully "More than we know"

"I had no idea that Summer leaving would affect her this much" Charlie admitted sadly as she looked up at Joey "It's like she's completely shut down"

"They were really close" Joey shrugged "You know that"

"But..._How Close_?" Charlie questioned in frustration "Close to the extent that Ruby can't even function without her?"

"They were best friends" Joey frowned "It's understandable that Ruby would be hurting"

"I'm going to check on her" Charlie said as she stood up from the couch. She hesitated for a moment before she leaned down and kissed Joey "I know it may seem like I'm being really insensitive right now but I'm just worried"

"I know" Joey nodded slowly "It's okay"

---

After Changing into Jeans and a loose shirt Charlie walked to Ruby's door and knocked hesitantly "Rubz?" she paused for a moment but when there was no answer she continued in a slightly louder voice "Ruby?"

"Come in" Ruby's voice sounded quietly from behind the door.

Charlie opened the door and stepped into the room surprised to see it was pitch black. Through the darkness she could just barely make out Ruby sitting in bed, wiping tears from her cheeks "Wow, its dark"

"I have a headache" Ruby answered hoarsely "Was there something you wanted Charlie?"

"Um...I just came to see how you are" Charlie said in concern as she moved over to the bed and tentatively sat next to her daughter.

"I'm great" Ruby snapped sarcastically "Absolutely freaking fabulous"

Charlie looked slightly shocked at the teenager's sharp tone "Ruby..."

"I'm sorry" Ruby said monotonously "I just don't feel like talking to anyone right now, okay?"

"Well that's too bad" Charlie frowned as she watched Ruby flop back onto the bed "I want to know what's wrong with you. You haven't come out of your room for more than a week except for school. You haven't been eating properly, you won't ta..."

"Do you know that she hasn't called me yet?" Ruby asked. She bit down hard on her lip to keep her emotions at bay before continuing, her gaze fixed on the ceiling "She won't answer my calls or texts. What does that tell you?"

"Um..."

"It shows that she doesn't care" Ruby said miserably "That as soon as she left she forgot about me or something" she laughed bitterly "Out of sight out of mind right?"

"That's ridiculous" Charlie said instantly "You know that Summer cared about you"

"Cared as in past tense" Ruby muttered.

"That's not what I meant Rubz" Charlie sighed and began to reach out to her daughter. She stopped suddenly however and winced "Ow..."

"What is it?" Ruby asked looking genuinely concerned as her gaze moved back to Charlie.

"I have a sore shoulder" Charlie moved her loose shirt slightly to reveal her bruised shoulder "It hurts like hell"

"Ouch" Ruby muttered as she touched the slightly heated bruise "Looks painful"

"Joey fixed it up" Charlie shrugged before grimacing at the discomfort "It's better than it was before"

"Oh" Ruby nodded and dropped back onto the bed "So...Was there anything else you wanted?"

"I'm worried about you" Charlie murmured softly "I know you're hurting but...You need to look after yourself Rubz. Staying locked up in your room doing nothing isn't good"

"I just want to be alone" Ruby whispered as she turned onto her side to face away from Charlie "I need to be alone right now"

Charlie sighed but nodded anyway "If you need me you know where I'll be" she dropped a kiss on the side of Ruby's head before she stood up and walked towards the door. She stopped however when she reached it "Rubz?" there was no response apart from soft sniffles but Charlie knew her daughter was listening "You know I love you right?"

"I know"

Charlie hesitated for a moment before leaving.

---

"I'm still worried" Charlie said as she walked along the road hand in hand with Joey "She didn't come out of her room at all last night"

"I know" Joey nodded "What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know" Charlie answered sadly "She's just...I've never seen her this _depressed_ before. It's really scary" she glanced at her lover who looked suddenly thoughtful "What is it?"

"I'm just thinking about Summer" Joey responded softly "About why she hasn't called or answered Ruby's calls...It's really weird. I can't imagine Summer ignoring her like that"

"You don't think something's happened to them do you?" Charlie asked in concern "And that's why Summer hasn't called?"

"I don't know" Joey said quietly "I hope not. For Ruby's sake"

"She's hurting" Charlie whispered more to herself than to Joey "I wish I could do something to stop it"

"I know" Joey whispered as she squeezed Charlie's hand gently "All we can do is wait until she's ready to talk to us"

"I guess you're right" Charlie sighed as they approached the door to the house "I'm just scared she's going to end up hurting herself first, y'know?"

"I know" Joey said as they entered the house.

"Rubz?" Charlie called cautiously as she walked towards the kitchen "Ruby are yo..." she stopped suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise when she reached the kitchen doorway only to see the unexpected sight of her daughter lying unconscious on the kitchen floor "Oh Fuck...JOEY!" she rushed forwards and quickly dropped to her knees next to Ruby "Shit...What did you do to yourself Rubz?" she placed her fingers on Ruby's pulse point and sighed in relief when she felt a steady pulse.

"She's bleeding" Joey observed softly as she moved a hand to Ruby's head where a cut was visible "I'll phone an ambulance"

Charlie nodded tearfully before she took Ruby's hand in both of her own and squeezed it tightly "Damn it Rubz..."

---

"You know..." Rachel said thoughtfully as she stopped in front of a frantic looking Charlie and a slightly alarmed Joey "You three are here more than I am"

"Is she okay?!" Charlie exclaimed as she jumped up from the seat "Is she awake? What happened Rachel? Was she atta...?"

"Charlie" Joey whispered as she placed a soothing hand on Charlie's arm.

"She's fine" Rachel offered a small smile of reassurance "she collapsed from low blood sugar and hit her head on the way down. She's awake now so you can go and see her. But there is something else..."

"What is it?" Joey and Charlie asked in unison.

"Have you notice Ruby seems...Different?" Rachel asked carefully "Maybe slightly down?"

"Um...Summer left recently" Joey informed the doctor "She's feeling kind of...Down"

"Right" Rachel responded quietly "Well...You can go and see her. Just follow me" she waited for their nods before she turned and walked away with Joey and Charlie right behind her. She came to a stop outside the door "I'll be back soon to talk to you about what you need to do to prevent this and so forth, okay?"

"Okay" Charlie whispered before she entered the room with Joey at her side.

"Hey" Ruby said miserably as they walked in.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked as she walked over to the edge of the hospital bed "Rachel said you collapsed"

"I'm fine" Ruby shrugged listlessly.

"Rachel noticed you were a bit down" Joey attempted quietly "Maybe if you talk to us..."

"I'm fine!" Ruby said again in a slightly harsher voice "I don't need to talk to anyone"

"We're worried" Charlie persisted "Whatever's going on with you is hurting you physically Ruby. This is serious"

"I know that!" Ruby snapped as tears began to fill her eyes "but I don't care, okay?!"

"Summer wouldn't want this for you..." Charlie whispered sadly "She wouldn't want you to dwell on what's going on. She would want..."

"How do you know what she would want?" Ruby questioned "Why do you even think she would care?!"

"She does care about you!" Charlie stated strongly "I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding..."

"If she cared about me..." Ruby sniffled "Why is she hurting me?!"

"It's going to be okay" Joey spoke up comfortingly "Summer will phone soon. You just need to hang on and look after yourself Rubz. That's the most important thing"

"What's the point?" Ruby asked tearfully. She turned her head away from Joey and Charlie and closed her eyes causing unshed tears to fall "Why should I care when she doesn't?"

TBC


	81. Chapter 81

**Hey guys, Thanks so much for all of your reviews. I really appreciate them. And...This chapter sucks. I know that. I have a kind of block going on with this fic right now so I'm sorry for the suckiness. **

**boo: You're completely entitled to your own opinion but...First of all I need to point out that Ruby's actions are completely understandable taking into account that she just lost somebody she really cares about. Secondly my fic isn't focused on one couple because in my opinion (And other's people's) that would be boring. But I do try to balance it out as much as possible. As for not liking Ruby/Summer...As I said you're welcome to your own opinion but (And I'm not trying to be rude) I did give you the option a number of times through the fic and you didn't object to Ruby and Summer.**

**Kat, Lil20 and Cardboard fox: Thanks so much for the counter reviews to the above guys! You made me feel way better and I seriously don't think this chapter (Sucky as it is) would be here without your reassurances about the fic. So thanks a lot! **

Chapter 81

"Hey Alf" Joey greeted wearily as she leaned against the bar "Can I get a...Vodka Tonic, Please?"

Alf looked slightly confused at her presence but nodded as he began to pour the drink anyway "It's a bit early for you, isn't it?"

"Maybe" Joey shrugged and picked up the glass "I guess I just needed a drink" she continued vaguely at Alf's questioning look "Normal stress at home"

"Oh" Alf nodded understandingly and was about to say something else when he noticed another customer standing at the bar. He quickly excused himself and went to serve the customer.

"Hey"

Joey jumped slightly as a male voice sounded from next to her. She glanced to her left to see a dark haired guy standing there.

"I'm Brian" the guy announced with a grin "I'm new around here"

"Joey" Joey said as she reluctantly shook Brian's hand.

"Can I buy you a drink?" the man asked hopefully "then maybe we can..."

Joey cut him off as she raised her left hand "I'm married"

Brian shrugged as if the information was completely irrelevant "So what? C'mon just let me buy you that drink and we can get out of here. Find somewhere private we can..."

"I'm also _very_ Gay" Joey pointed out in amusement "So I guess it's a no"

"I can fix that for you"

"Oh My God" Joey muttered under her breath. She closed her eyes briefly before looking back at the guy in front of her "It really doesn't need to be fixed"

"So how about that drink?"

Joey gave him a look that said '_Are you serious?_' She lifted her glass when she was met with a blank stare "I have one. Thanks"

"I could buy you another one" Brian insisted "Come on just _one _Drink!"

Joey rolled her eyes at the clueless man "What part of No did you not understand?"

"The part where I can't buy a hot girl a drink?" Brian shrugged "Come on just one..."

"I'm married" Joey said again "And you're not my type. I have never and will never go out with a guy. Sorry"

"How do you know you're gay if you've never been with a guy?"

"How do you know you're straight if you've never been with a guy?" Joey countered irritably.

Brian huffed in indignation "Whatever" he turned and moodily stormed off. Joey released a soft sigh of relief.

"The new guy bothering you?" Alf asked as he moved back up the bar.

"Kind of" Joey shrugged "It's fine though"

"That guy and his brother got here about a week ago" Alf stated casually as he wiped down the bar "Apparently they're trouble. I'm surprised you haven't run into them before now"

"Why's that?" Joey smiled in puzzlement "Because I attract trouble?"

"No" Alf shook his head looking equally confused "I just mean that since Ruby's been hanging around with the brother...Nathan that you might have met him. Haven't you?"

"Uh...No" Joey said in concern "I haven't. Do you have any idea how old this Nathan person is?"

"About 20" Alf shrugged.

"20?!" Joey exclaimed in shock "And Ruby's hanging out with him?!"

"Yeah" Alf nodded "I thought you would react like that"

"I have to go" Joey mumbled as she placed her glass on the bar and started to dig through her pockets.

"Don't worry about it" Alf informed her with a smile "It's on the house"

"Thanks Alf" Joey shot the man a faint smile before rushing hurriedly out of the bar. She began to walk back home thoughts running wildly through her head. She stopped however after a few minutes as she caught sight of something in the distance "Ruby..." she quickly ducked out of sight, though she wasn't quite sure why she was being so secretive and watched as the teenager grinned flirtatiously at an older guy at her side. Joey's eyes widened in shock when the guy she assumed was Nathan tugged Ruby closer and kissed her "What the hell..."

Joey groaned to herself as she slumped down onto the couch and leaned her head on her hands in an attempt to rid herself of the dull thumping pain.

"Hey!" Charlie's voice sounded as she sat on the couch next to Joey "What's with the door slamming? Is something wrong?"

"Do you know where Ruby is?" Joey asked curiously as she glanced sidelong at Charlie "Right now, I mean?"

"She went out" Charlie frowned in confusion "Why? What's wrong?"

"I'm worried" Joey admitted.

"Oh" Charlie sighed forlornly at Joey's statement "Well...At least she's left her room, right? I mean it has been about a month since Summer left and..."

"Do you know she's hanging out with the new guy in town?" Joey interrupted "Even though he's meant to be bad news?"

"Joey" Charlie smiled softly at Joey's obvious overprotective behaviour "You're starting to sound like me. You're worrying way too much"

"He's 20 years old!" Joey persisted in worry "He's way too old to be making out with Ruby!"

"Oh" Charlie's expression dropped slightly "Wait, they were making out?!"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "Do you think we should talk to her?"

"Maybe" Charlie bit her lip thoughtfully "So I guess this means she's not..."

"Dealing with it?" Joey suggested softly "I don't think she is"

"This is a mess" Charlie muttered as she slumped back against the couch "A really big mess"

"I know" Joey shifted close and wrapped an arm around her lover's shoulders "But it's going to be okay...Eventually"

"I hope so" Charlie closed her eyes and leaned into Joey's comforting embrace. She smiled softly as a gentle kiss was pressed to her temple.

"Charlie?" Joey murmured quietly "I need to tell you something. And I don't think you're going to like it"

"Great" Charlie muttered dryly "What is it?"

"Brett's being released soon" Joey announced hesitantly "I just thought you should know in-case..."

"In case he tries to drug me again?" Charlie laughed humourlessly "Thanks for the warning"

"Are you mad at me?" Joey asked tentatively as she began to pull away "Because you seem kind of weird..."

"No...I'm sorry" Charlie pulled Joey back to her and kissed her softly "I'm sorry. I'm just...Worried about everything"

Joey nodded understandingly "What do you think we should do about Ruby?"

"I don't know" Charlie sighed miserably "I really don..." she was cut off by the sudden slamming of the door "What was that?"

"Ruby?" Joey suggested cluelessly. A moment later the girl in question walked into the room.

"Hey" she greeted flatly as she grabbed her bag and began to walk back out of the room.

"Ruby!" Charlie exclaimed as she stood up from the couch "I need to talk to you"

Ruby stopped and turned back around "What is it?"

"Um..." Charlie swallowed nervously as she took in the emotionless look in her daughter's eyes "Where have you been?"

"Out" Ruby shrugged.

Charlie cursed under her breath when she realised Ruby wasn't going to make the discussion easy for her "Out where?"

"Just out"

"So this guy you're dating..." Charlie started unsurely "How old is he?"

"We're not dating" Ruby disagreed monotonously "It's not that serious. And he's 21"

"21?" Charlie frowned as she stepped forward "Don't you think that's too old?"

"No" Ruby shook her head "It's not"

"Everyone around her says he's a troublemaker" Joey contributed from the couch.

"Maybe he is" Ruby shrugged carelessly "But at least he returns my calls, right?"

"Have you been smoking?" Charlie asked in surprise "You smell like smoke"

"No!" Ruby exclaimed "Nathan smokes though so..."

"What about Summer?" Joey asked hesitantly.

"What about her?" Ruby countered "It's not like we were dating or anything. Anyway she's gone now"

"Ruby..."

"I'm going upstairs" Ruby said interrupting Charlie's sentence as she began to move out of the room "Oh and I'm going out later!"

Charlie was about to protest Ruby's call but stopped as the sound of the sound of the teens footsteps on the stairs sounded "This is seriously messed up"

"I agree" Joey stated worriedly "It's like she's..."

"Numbed herself?" Charlie offered as Joey trailed off "Pushed us completely away? Built walls?"

Joey nodded in confirmation "Walls aren't good. They're really bad in fact. The worst thing she could do in a situation like this"

"I think I preferred it when she cried 24-7" Charlie winced slightly when she realised how her statement had sounded "I know that sounds horrible but...This isn't like Ruby. To isolate herself"

Joey sighed in annoyance at the situation but made no comment.

"Do you think Brett will do anything?" Charlie asked tiredly as she sat back on the couch next to Joey "Because I don't think I can deal with that right now. And I know Ruby can't"

"I don't know" Joey whispered "I hope not"

TBC


	82. Chapter 82

**Hey guys, Thanks so much for all of your reviews. I appreciate your comments! Sorry for the late update but I was (And still kind of am) feeling kind of lost with this fic and more precisely the pairings I write. Hope you're still reading (And I'm really hoping you guys are still interested in my Rummer storyline?). Thanks to those who pointed that out in their reviews for chapter 81 btw. You made me feel heaps better...****Oh and something weird is going on with my paragraph spacing so instead of ---- this is what my spacing between paragraphs looks like now: **_**--Para--.**_

**Boo: I wouldn't say that it is completely focused on Ruby/Summer since Joey and Charlie are still in it (Though granted not much last chapter). I still write about CJ but this particular storyline just happens to focus on Ruby/Summer. It's highly likely that when my next storyline starts I will focus almost completely on Charlie and Joey whereas Ruby/Summer wouldn't really have much screen time so to speak. It would be kind of boring if I only used one couple on all of my storylines...**

Chapter 82

"I already told you!" Charlie exclaimed loudly as she walked into the living room with Joey hot on her heels "I'm not fleeing the country just because your psycho of a brother is being released from Jail!"

"I didn't say we should 'Flee the country'!" Joey responded heatedly "All I said is that maybe we should go away for a while"

"No!" Charlie responded instantly "I'm not being pushed out of my own town by somebody who may or may not come after me again Joey!"

"Have you forgotten what he did to you last time?" Joey asked in disbelief "He almost killed you! Not to mention trying to frame you for drug dealing"

"I remember" Charlie sighed and ran a hand through her hair in exasperation "But maybe you're overreacting slightly. There's not need to leave Summer Bay. He probably won't even try anything. Maybe he's actually learnt his lesson"

"I doubt it" Joey frowned knowingly "Brett doesn't do that very easily"

"I'm sure it's going to be fine" Charlie said comfortingly "But Jo...we can't just up and leave. I have work here, Ruby has school...We can't just leave"

"What if he does something though?" Joey asked in worry as she sat down on the couch "What if he hurts you or Ruby again? I'm only trying to stop that from happening..."

"Hey" Charlie soothed softly as she detected Joey's increasing agitation at the situation they were in "its okay. Nothing is going to happen to me or Ruby. I won't let that happen"

"How are you going to stop it though?" Joey exclaimed her eyes wide with alarm "There's nothing anybody can do to stop him if he tries to hurt you again"

"Joey" Charlie said softly as she placed her hands on Joey's arms "Look at me" she breathed a silent sigh of relief when Joey looked into her eyes "Nothing is going to happen to us. I promise, I'm not going to let that happen" she frowned in concern when Joey tensed next to her before pulling away suddenly "What is it?"

"Nothing" Joey lied as she stood up from the couch and took a step away from Charlie "It's nothing. Don't worry about it"

"It's obviously something" Charlie countered as she too stood up from the couch "Or you wouldn't have pulled away like that" she took a step forward towards Joey ~"Did I say something?"

Joey shook her head quickly "No"

Charlie frowned thoughtfully as she tried to think back to what she said. As she analysed her previous comment something occurred to her suddenly "Oh"

"Oh?" Joey looked up at her nervously "What do you mean 'Oh'?"

"You think I'm going to do something stupid again" Charlie muttered in realisation "Like I did with Grant and...That's partly why you're trying to get me away from Brett"

"It's not that I think you would do anything like that again!" Joey exclaimed instantly "It's just...I don't want you to have to go through that again. I don't want you to feel that you have to go to the extreme to protect us again"

"Its okay" Charlie offered a smile though it was weak "After what I did last time you have no real reason to trust my judgement"

"I do trust your judgement!" Joey countered sharply "I understand why you did what you did with Grant. This is different though. I'm worried about you"

"You don't have to worry" Charlie whispered as she stepped forward and tentatively took Joey's hand "Brett might not even do anything when he gets out of prison. Like I said he might have learnt his lesson this time"

"Are you seriously telling me you're not worried in the slightest?" Joey questioned in disbelief "Even after everything he did to you?"

"Of course I'm worried" Charlie smiled slightly "But there's nothing we can do right now. We can't up and leave because our lives are here in Summer Bay. So...I'm trying not to think about what's going to happen when he gets out. We'll have to wait until it actually happens"

"That doesn't stop me from worrying" Joey pouted slightly.

"I know" Charlie laughed softly and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on Joey's lips "But if anything does happen...At least we still have each other, right?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded though she still looked worried "I would prefer it if nothing at all happened though"

"Me too" Charlie smiled softly "I'm not doing a very good job of making you fell better am I?"

"Not really..." Joey sighed.

"Well than maybe I should distract you" Charlie smiled flirtatiously before she pulled Joey closer to her and kissed her soundly. It took only a moment for Joey to respond, her hands lifting to Charlie's cheeks.

"I like the way you think" Joey gasped breathlessly when they pulled away from the kiss. Her eyes slid shut as Charlie began to kiss a soft trail down her neck and she began to back them up to the couch.

"Helping?" Charlie murmured as they fell back onto the couch.

"Definitely" Joey stated in response before she tugged Charlie back to her and kissed her passionately. She moaned softly as Charlie's hand slipped under her shirt and trailed teasingly up over her ribs.

RING!

They pulled away from the kiss startled as the phone rang. Charlie was so startled in fact that she leaned slightly to the left and fell off the couch.

"Smooth" Joey laughed as she leaned across the couch and grabbed the phone.

"Whatever" Charlie grumbled playfully as she stood up from the ground and sat back on the couch.

"Hello?" Joey questioned as she answered the phone. She listened to the voice on the other side for a moment, her expression turning more confused by the second "Who...Oh, right. Nathan. Yeah, Sure I remember you. Ruby? She's...She's with you?" she listened for a moment and her gaze flickered to an annoyed looking Charlie "Damn it...We'll be right there"

"What happened?" Charlie asked as soon as Joey had hung up the phone "Where is Ruby? It's like...Midnight so I thought she would be in her room...Joey?" she narrowed her eyes at Joey who looked slightly apprehensive "Where is Ruby?"

"She's at the beach" Joey said carefully "Drunk"

"What?" Charlie exclaimed loudly as she shot up off the couch "She's...I'm going to kill her!" with that said she stormed out of the room, with Joey right behind her.

"Maybe you should calm down" Joey suggested quietly.

"Calm down?" Charlie questioned furiously as she pulled on her Jacket "My underage daughter is out getting drunk with a group of guys and I'm supposed to calm down?"

"Maybe you have a point" Joey nodded hesitantly as she followed Charlie out of the house and locked the door behind them "But Charlie you have to remember that Ruby..."

"I know!" Charlie stated angrily "I know that she's hurting right now for whatever reason but I'm not going to let her use that as an excuse anymore Joey. This is getting out of control. It's ridiculous!"

Joey was about to respond but thought better of it as she followed after her wife.

_**--Para--.**_

"Hey!"

Joey and Charlie watched as Nathan jogged up to meet them just before they reached him.

"You are aware my daughter is underage aren't you?" Charlie asked him tightly.

"Um...Yeah" Nathan shrugged as if the fact didn't matter at all "So?"

"So it's illegal!" Charlie practically yelled "Not to mention completely bad for her"

"Riiiight" Nathan rolled his eyes at her, obviously slightly intoxicated himself "She's over there" he motioned over his shoulder to where Ruby was sitting on the ground "I have to warn you though she's completely smashed"

Joey quickly moved away from Charlie and Nathan as she sensed her wife becoming angrier by the second. She walked over to Ruby just as Charlie continued to lecture Nathan and knelt down next to the teen "Ruby?" she shook Ruby's shoulder gently causing her to lift her head from her knees and look up at her fuzzily "Hey...."

"Joey...Hey, what are you doing here?" Ruby slurred, obviously drunk.

"Taking you home" Joey said with a slight smile "You'd better get rid of this..." she prised an empty bottle of beer from Ruby's grasp and chucked it to the side "And sober up before Charlie gets over here"

"Is she angry?" Ruby asked blearily.

"You could say that" Joey muttered softly just as Charlie and Nathan walked over to her. Nathan hovered apprehensively while Charlie knelt down next to Ruby and looked into her slightly dilated eyes.

"You are so grounded when you get home" she muttered trying to keep her anger at bay. She frowned as she noticed something and tilted Ruby's head to the side to reveal a red mark on her neck. Noticing Ruby's shirt was slightly undone she turned her furious gaze to Nathan who held his hands up in surrender.

"I didn't do anything after I noticed she was this drunk" he defended.

Charlie's angry gaze lingered on him for a moment before she turned her attention back to Ruby and quickly fastened the button's on her shirt "Come on Rubz"

"Where we going'?" Ruby slurred as she found herself being pulled to her feet by her mother.

"Home" Charlie answered irately as she began to move with Joey at her side.

"Bye Ruby!" Nathan called with a smirk before he turned around and walked back to his friends.

_**--Para--**_

"You still seem angry" Joey noted as she watched Charlie walking randomly around the kitchen the next day "Like...Really angry"

"I'm furious!" Charlie exclaimed barely able to contain the fury she felt "Do you blame me? She went out without telling me, got drunk and messed around with some guy! How else am I supposed to react to this?"

"Maybe you should try to understand from her point of view" Joey suggested apprehensively "Try to understand why she's doing this"

"I can't!" Charlie responded tightly "Because I have no idea _why_ she's doing this other than the fact that Summer left and that really shouldn't be affecting her this much!"

"You know they were really close..."

"I don't care!" Charlie interrupted loudly "This is stupid. She's falling in with the wrong crowd, drinking, probably smoking..."

"I don't smoke" Ruby's voice sounded hoarsely as she walked into the kitchen "I ended up coughing for like an hour after I tried" she slumped down at the table "Ow...I have a headache"

"That's what you get for drinking" Charlie stated unsympathetically "What the hell were you thinking Ruby?"

"I wasn't" Ruby winced at the volume of Charlie's voice "I've been trying not to" she shot Joey a grateful look as a glass of water and an aspirin were placed in front of her "I don't want to talk about it"

"You go out and get drunk and you don't want to talk about it?" Charlie fumed "Well tough...We are talking about it"

"Stop yelling" Ruby muttered as her hand shot to her head. She quickly took the aspirin in front of her.

"I will not stop yelling!" Charlie stated angrily "What the hell is wrong with you Ruby? Do you have any idea what could have happened with your diabetes? You could have killed yourself"

"You're being overdramatic" Ruby murmured.

Joey winced at the statement fully aware of the fact that it would only agitate Charlie more.

"Overdramatic?" Charlie echoed loudly "I'll take you to the hospital and we'll see what Rachel has to say about this, okay?" she gritted her teeth in annoyance when the only response she received was a blank stare "You're grounded"

Ruby shrugged.

"What the hell is going on with you Ruby?" Charlie asked in a low angry voice "Is this really all about Summer? Because you should have gotten over..."

Ruby stood up causing her chair to fall back onto the floor "I'm going out"

"What?" Charlie's eyes widened in shock "No, you're not...I just told you, you're grounded!" she watched speechlessly as Ruby walked out of the door, the front door slamming a moment later "What the..." she frowned when she met Joey's slightly disapproving stare "what?"

"You probably shouldn't have brought Summer up" Joey shrugged tiredly "You know she's a touchy subject right now..."

Charlie looked like she was about to argue before she sighed softly "Maybe I was being a bit insensitive"

Joey nodded almost imperceptibly "I'll go after her, okay?" she kissed Charlie softly before stepping back and offering a small reassuring smile "It's going to be fine"

Charlie nodded in response and watched in resignation as Joey walked out of the kitchen "This is such a mess..."

_**--Para--**_

"Ruby!" Joey yelled as she rushed after the slightly slower than usual teenager "Rubz, wait up!"

"What Joey?" Ruby swung around to look at Joey "Are you going to tell me to go back to the house and apologise? Because I can't do that right now"

"Charlie's just worried" Joey said as she kicked at the sand beneath her feet "We're both worried about you right now"

"You don't have to be" Ruby said as she diverted her gaze.

"Don't we?" Joey questioned sceptically "Come on Ruby...You're going out and getting drunk. That means something is _very_ wrong with you"

"There's nothing wrong with me" Ruby said tightly "I just want to be left alone right now"

"Is this about Summer?" Joey asked hesitantly "Look Ruby, I know you're hurting right now..."

"No you don't" Ruby shook her head sadly "You can't"

"She was your friend" Joey said softly "And she left. I know that you're hurting..."

"Friend" Ruby laughed bitterly and furiously kicked at the sand "Right"

"I know it may not seem like that right now with her not contacting you" Joey said softly "But she was your friend. She really cared about you"

Ruby shook her head "I don't want to talk about her"

"Why not?"

"I just don't, okay?" Ruby yelled as tears formed in her eyes "It hurts too much to think about her!"

"Maybe Charlie is right" Joey stated tentatively "I don't mean to sound insensitive but you shouldn't be this messed up Rubz...You should be..."

"Don't tell me how I'm supposed to feel" Ruby said sharply "You have no idea"

"Well tell me!" Joey yelled in frustration.

"NO!"

"I'm only worried about you!" Joey said loudly "Just tell me wha..."

"I WAS IN LOVE WITH HER!" Ruby yelled as her tears spilled down her cheeks. Her voice dropped to a whisper and sobs wracked her body as she finally admitted the fact she had been avoiding "I loved her"

"What?" Joey eyes widened in shock "W-What do you mean?"

"I was in love with her" Ruby stated tearfully "I had been for a while before she l-left but I hadn't let myself admit it"

"You mean...You loved her as more than a friend?" Joey asked blankly.

Ruby nodded "I didn't want to admit it"

"Oh My God..." Joey muttered as she placed her hand on her forehead in pure shock "I thought there was something more but...I thought I was imagining..." she shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts "You were in love with Summer"

"And now there's nothing I can do about it" Ruby spoke through soft sobs "I don't even know if she felt the same way. But it doesn't seem like it right now..." she wiped roughly at her still falling tears before she turned away "I'll be back home soon. I just...I need to think"

Joey could only watch numbly as the teenager turned and walked away...

TBC


	83. Chapter 83

**This chapter sucks. But so do most of my filler chapters so…Yeah, thanks so much for the reviews guys. I really appreciate them. Like I said this chapter isn't very good (Due to a distinct lack of inspiration) but I thought I should through it out there anyway. Enjoy…(Or not). **

Chapter 83

Ruby coughed awkwardly to announce her presence as she she leaned on the doorway to the living room.

Joey looked up and offered a small smile "Hey"

"Hey" Ruby said hoarsely as she took a hesitant step into the room before pausing and glancing around "I was kind of wondering if I could talk to you…I-Is Charlie here?"

"She's at work" Joey answered quietly "And of course you can talk to me"

Ruby nodded and walked over to sit on the couch next to the older girl "So…"

"So…" Joey echoed softly, at a loss for what to say after their conversation a couple of days ago.

"Now you know" Ruby said unsurely, her hand dropping to play with a loose thread on her jeans.

"Yeah" Joey nodded still slightly shell-shocked "Now I know…" she glanced sidelong at Ruby who was avoiding her eyes "How…How long were you…."

"I honestly don't know" Ruby shrugged "Maybe since we were in the house with Grant. Maybe even before then…"

"Wow" Joey whispered "That's…Wow. I didn't even know you were…."

"I'm not" Ruby said quickly "I mean I don't think I am. I've never been…I've never felt like this towards a girl before…It's just her"

"Oh" Joey nodded slowly as if processing the information "Wait…That girl you were talking about wasn't your friend was she?"

"No" Ruby shook her head "That wasn't a friend I was talking about"

"How long have you known?" Joey asked curiously as she turned slightly on the couch to face the teen "That you loved her?"

"I think I started to suspect after we got back from being with Grant…Or maybe when we were in the forest" Ruby murmured thoughtfully "Everything was just so comfortable and natural with her and I didn't think anything of it before…But then I started to realise how I felt"

"It make sense now" Joey stated quietly "You two always seemed close…The hand holding, the looks….It makes total sense. So the way you described that girl's feelings…They're really your own?"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded with the hint of a smile "They really are"

"And you're sure it's not just really strong friendship?" Joey offered.

"It's not" Ruby shook her head "It's so much more than that"

"But how do you…"

"I kissed her" Ruby said suddenly causing Joey to trail off in shock.

"What?" Joey questioned wide-eyed "Y-You…When?"

"Just before she left" Ruby confided a slight blush creeping up her neck "Actually when we were standing at the car. I figured I couldn't wait any longer so I just…Went for it"

"And?" Joey asked softly.

"It was kind of perfect" Ruby stated trying to blink back the tears that were rapidly filling her eyes "It would have been if she hadn't left"

"Maybe I'm being a bit slow…" Joey said with a sheepish smile "But if you have all of these ridiculously strong feelings for Summer…What is this thing with Nathan?"

"I don't know" Ruby shrugged sadly "I guess just wanted to be with somebody who wanted me. Somebody who cares even if it is all for the wrong reasons"

"Summer cares for all the right reasons" Joey said strongly "Even I could see that Rubz"

"Nathan wants me for who I am"

"Is this really who you are though?" Joey asked as she leaned forward "Are you really the girl who drinks, smokes and makes out with random guys? Because I don't think you are"

Ruby shrugged in defeat "Nathan wants the person I feel like being right now. Summer doesn't want me at all"

"Come on Rubz. Don't say that…"

"She told me she would call me and she hasn't" Ruby said shakily "What else am I supposed to think Joey? Because right now it really doesn't seem like she cares about me at all"

"There has to be reason she's not contacting you" Joey said feebly "She wouldn't ignore you on purpose"

"Unless I completely freaked her out?" Ruby asked as she wiped quickly at her eyes "What if she didn't feel the same way about me and when I kissed her she freaked out? What if she hates me?"

"I find that hard to believe" Joey said shortly "She wouldn't ruin your friendship like that"

Ruby sighed heavily her gaze dropping to the couch "I hate that I can't stop thinking about her. Even when I'm messing round with Nathan…She's never far from my mind" she laughed self-deprecatingly "It's pathetic"

"No" Joey shook her head and grasped Ruby's hand lightly "its love"

"I want her back Joey" Ruby admitted softly "I can't stand this anymore"

"I know" Joey whispered sadly "I know Rubz"

"Charlie…"

"I know Watson!" Charlie growled out in annoyance "You've told me like 10 times already. Brett's coming back and he probably plans to make your life more of a misery than it already is at the minute"

"I was only saying…" Watson said in a wounded voice.

"Do you have to walk around here like a love sick puppy?" Charlie complained "God you're almost as bad as Ruby"

"What's wrong with Ruby?" Watson frowned as she seated herself across the desk from Charlie "Is she in trouble again?"

"Depends what you mean by trouble" Charlie sat up and stretched slightly "She's been a bit of a mess since Summer left. She's been drinking, smoking…She's even gotten herself a 'Bad boy'"

"Wow, Really?" Watson asked in surprise "She doesn't seem like the type to do all of that stuff"

"That's what I thought" Charlie chuckled darkly "But as Joey keeps reminding me…Ruby's hurting right now"

"And you don't understand, right?" Watson asked knowingly "You don't understand why she can't get over it"

"You're making me sound like a jerk" Charlie frowned "I'm just worried, okay? Ruby won't even talk to me about it"

"Maybe she doesn't know how to say what she's feeling?" Watson suggested idly as her gaze skimmed over the file in front of her "Or maybe she doesn't think you'll understand"

Charlie sighed feeling the beginning of a headache "Maybe" she stood up from her seat and grabbed her jacket "I'm going out. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay" Watson nodded "But Charlie…"

"I know Watson!" Charlie exclaimed in frustration before she walked out of the room.

Watson frowned in concern as she glanced down at the file in front of her showing an image of Brett Collins gazing stonily ahead of him. She shuddered unwillingly at the thought of what he had done before he had been locked away and quickly closed the file.

"Hey, I'm…" Charlie walked into the living room and frowned when both Joey and Ruby turned silent and sat up straight in their seats "Home?" she glanced between them suspiciously "What's going on?"

"Nothing" Ruby said as she stood up from the couch "Nothing at all. I'm just going to…" she motioned to the doorway and rushed off leaving both Charlie and Joey frowning after her in confusion.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked suspiciously.

"I have no idea" Joey shrugged shiftily "What are you doing home so early?"

"I figured I'd come and see if anything's going on with Rubz" Charlie answered "It seems like you two are hiding something from me"

"Erm…" Joey winced slightly under Charlie's stare "It's not really for me to say Charlz"

"Is she in trouble?" Charlie asked in concern.

"No" Joey shook her head in response "It's nothing like that. I promise"

"Okay" Charlie nodded though she didn't look happy at the idea of Ruby hiding things from her.

"I had an idea!" Joey exclaimed suddenly as she jumped up off the couch "A way for us to solve the Ruby situation and the Brett situation"

"How?" Charlie asked curiously as she took a seat on the couch and leaned back slightly.

"We'll go away for a while like I suggested!" Joey enthused "To England!"

"Seriously?" Charlie questioned sceptically "That won't work"

"Why not?" Joey frowned "It's a good idea"

"We don't know where Summer and Cameron live. In fact we'll most likely get lost" Charlie explained "Plus isn't there a giant ash cloud over England right now?"

"How do you…"

"I checked it out" Charlie said with a small smile "I was thinking about going there too…But it's not going to work"

"If you checked it out" Joey argued "You'll probably know that some flights are getting through"

Charlie sighed softly "I don't know. I don't think it's a good idea to get Ruby's hopes up"

"Well we have to do something!" Joey stated strongly "She's…"

"She's what?" Charlie questioned expectantly as Joey trailed off.

"She's a mess" Joey sighed heavily "You know that"

Charlie paused for a moment in contemplation "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Good" Joey grinned in triumph.

TBC


	84. Chapter 84

**Hey guys! Thanks again for all of your reviews. I really appreciate your comments! **

**Jaybes17: Thanks so much for the counter review and I'm so glad you raised the point about sex since that's what I've been trying to stop this fic from becoming (I.e. a smut filled fic) while still including intimacy (Though obviously not just pointless sex) . And tbh I have thought about scrapping this a few times (Receiving negative comments gets a bit tiresome) but as you said most other people seem to like it so as long as you guys do I'll continue to update. Thanks again for the review(s). **

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter! **

**Oh and there's a bit of a sex scene in this chapter. Just a warning! **

Chapter 84

"I can't believe I agreed to this" Charlie huffed half heartedly as she zipped her luggage bag closed and turned to look at Joey.

"Why?" Joey beamed "It's a great idea!"

"Really?" Charlie asked incredulously "Because it all seems a bit overdramatic to me. I mean…We're travelling halfway across the world to find Ruby's friend?"

Joey bit her lip in an attempt to stop her correction spilling out "We're going to get away from Brett too, remember? Anyway we need a holiday so it's a good excuse"

"Hmmn" Charlie nodded thoughtfully "And you're sure there's nothing more to it than that?"

"Um…" Joey froze guiltily "What do you mean?"

"Nothing" Charlie shrugged "It just seems that you have some kind of secret you're determined to keep from me. That's all" she paused for a moment but when no reply was forthcoming she continued "Are you?"

"It's not my secret to tell" Joey said regretfully "If it was I would tell you right away but it's really not up to me. She told me in confidence"

Charlie heaved a sigh of frustration and sat down on the bed "Is there a reason she thinks she can't tell me about it? I mean is it bad?" her eyes widened suddenly "Oh My God she's not pregnant is she?"

"What?" Joey exclaimed in shock "NO!" she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at Charlie's far out assumption "No she's not"

"Well it was a possibility" Charlie pouted "I mean why else would she not want to tell me?"

"I don't know" Joey sobered slightly from her earlier amusement and sat on the bed next to Charlie "Have you asked her about it yet? It might not be that she doesn't want to tell you about it"

"If that's the case why is she avoiding me?" Charlie frowned "I think it's more like she doesn't want me to know. Which means it has to be something bad"

"It's not bad" Joey reassured her "Well I don't see it as a bad thing. Ruby does right now but that's just because…" she trailed off suddenly realising she might be revealing too much.

"Does this have anything to do with why she's acting so…" Charlie hesitated for a moment trying to find the right words "Down right now?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded slowly "But this trip's going to fix that. I promise"

"I hate not knowing what's going on" Charlie muttered in annoyance "Can't you just tell me…"

"You know I can't do that" Joey said guiltily "I can't betray Ruby's trust"

"Please?" Charlie leaned slightly closer "I won't tell her you told me"

"Sorry" Joey shook her head firmly "And you're not going to persuade me by doing that thing either"

"What thing?" Charlie asked innocently even as she slid closer and placed her hand on Joey's thigh "I'm not doing anything"

Joey swallowed heavily as she felt Charlie's breath on her lips "Um…This isn't going to work"

"It isn't?" Charlie placed a light kiss on Joey's lips "What about now"

"Not yet…" Joey whispered.

"I guess I'll have to try a bit harder" Charlie chuckled before she slid her free hand behind Joey's neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss. The younger girl melted into the kiss almost immediately and tugged Charlie gently closer on the bed.

"What about now?" Charlie grinned as she pulled back slightly.

"Tempting" Joey smiled "But I still can't tell you…And we have to leave soon anyway"

"Jooooey!" Charlie whined.

Joey laughed out loud at her girlfriend "You're adorable when you don't get your own way" she kissed Charlie quickly "I'm going to tell Ruby to hurry up"

"I really do need to know!" Charlie protested as she watched Joey get up and start towards the door "I can't stop thinking about the possibilities…"

"Don't think about it" Joey advised "Just ask Ruby"

"But…" Charlie was about to argue but Joey had already left the room. She groaned in frustration and slumped back down onto the bed.

_**-Para-**_

"Ruby?" Joey knocked lightly on Ruby's slightly ajar door before entering "Are you ready to…" she paused when she was greeted with the sight of the teenager lying on her bed, her suitcase only half packed "Seriously Rubz? We have to leave in half an hour"

"I still don't see the point of this" Ruby leaned up on her elbows to peer at Joey sceptically "We're seriously going to England just because I have some stupid unrequited crush on my friend?"

"God you're almost as bad as Charlie" Joey sighed in annoyance as she began to pick clothes up and throw them into Ruby's suitcase "I already told you that's not the only reason we're getting out of Summer Bay"

"Yet you won't tell me what the other reason is" Ruby said as she reluctantly got up and began to pack her luggage with Joey "Are you going to tell me now?"

"No" Joey shook her head firmly "You don't need to worry" she rolled her eyes at the thought of how many secret's she seemed to be keeping lately.

"Now I _am_ worried" Ruby frowned "You should suggest to somebody that what you're keeping from them is reason to be worried if you're trying to stop them from worrying"

"Huh" Joey took a moment to mull over that "I guess you're right about that. But really there is no need to worry. I just thought we could use a holiday that's all"

"Riiiight" Ruby drawled sceptically "Am I supposed to believe that?"

"I thought you would be happy about this anyway" Joey said in an attempt to steer the conversation away from the reasons they were leaving "I mean…Summer lives in England"

"We don't know where she lives exactly" Ruby pointed out.

"It shouldn't be that hard to find out"

"I think you're forgetting the fact that she won't return any of my phone calls" Ruby stated resignedly "And believe me the amount of times I've tried is pathetic. Don't you think the fact that she's ignoring me suggests that she doesn't want to talk to me?"

"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation" Joey stated comfortingly "You shouldn't think like that Rubz"

"It doesn't matter" Ruby attempted a careless shrug "I'm over it. I'm over her"

"Yeah, right and I'm Wilma freaking Flintstone" Joey responded sarcastically "If this is what you call being over somebody I'd hate to see otherwise"

"That was kind of random" Ruby chuckled at Joey's earlier statement "But I am. Over her. I'm moving on. I mean I'm with Nathan so…"

"But you told me you don't have any emotional feelings for him though" Joey said in confusion "So…What's the real reason you don't want to see Summer?"

Ruby glanced down at the shirt she held in her hands before speaking softly "I'm just…Not a big fan of rejection. That's all. And…That's basically what she's done already. I couldn't take it again…"

Joey stared at Ruby in contemplation for a moment before speaking up quietly "Are you really over her?"

"No" Ruby shook her head "Nowhere near. But it doesn't matter because I shouldn't be feeling all of this anyway. She obviously doesn't return my feelings"

"You can't control how you feel about someone" Joey stated softly "Even if they don't return those feelings. Did it seem like she did at the time?"

"I'm pretty sure she did" Ruby nodded sadly "All of the signs were there…I just couldn't see them at the time. But she's ignoring me now…"

"There has to be a perfectly good reason for that" Joey interrupted with a reassuring smile "Now what do you say we get on this plane and find out? At least you'll know"

Ruby paused for a moment before nodding and hugging Joey quickly "Thanks Joey"

_**-Para-**_

"Hey" Joey whispered as she leaned closer to Charlie "Are you okay?"

"No" Charlie shook her head without opening her eyes or releasing her tight grip on the chair's armrests "I hate flying. I get air sick"

Joey couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her "Boats AND Planes? How the hell did you get around?"

Charlie shrugged "NO idea. I guess I just hate feeling out of control…which is exactly what I am right now. I mean the plane could crash and there's nothing I could do about it"

"Hey" Joey squeezed Charlie's hand gently "Everything's going to be fine. I promise. Anyway did you know that the odds of dying on a commercial plane are about 9 million to 1? And 95% of all plane crashes have survivors anyway…"

Charlie finally opened her eyes and turned to look at Joey "This isn't really making me feel any better Joey"

"Oh…Sorry" Joey chuckled softly. She glanced at Ruby who appeared to be sleeping before leaning close to Charlie "Charlie?"

"Mmhmn?" Charlie mumbled.

Joey grinned flirtatiously "Are you by any chance a member of the mile high club? I hear it's a very elite club"

"Oh My God" Ruby groaned from her seat "I'm still awake you know"

Charlie couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as Joey blushed several shades of crimson and slumped down in her seat.

"I thought you were asleep" Joey mumbled embarrassedly as she covered her eyes with her hand "Oh God…"

"Actually I'm not feeling too well…" Charlie announced with a grin that definitely said otherwise "I think I'm going to go to the bathroom" she titled her head suggestively towards the bathroom.

"Seriously?" Ruby sat up, her eyes wide "You're just going to leave me alone so you can have totally against-flying-etiquette sex?"

"She feels sick" Joey smirked "I should go with her to um…Hold her hair back, I guess. I'm sure we won't be long Rubz"

"But…" Ruby was about to protest but Joey and Charlie were already halfway down the aisle "Ew, Ew…Bad image. Out of head. " she tapped lightly on her head earning herself a funny look from the stewardess walking down the aisle. She sighed heavily and sank down in her seat "This is going to be fun…" She shot the suspicious looking Stewardess a glare.

_**-Para-**_

"We have to be quiet" Charlie giggled between kisses as she found herself pressed back against the very small bathroom's door "like...Really quiet"

"Mmmhm" Joey hummed in response as she began to kiss a trail down Charlie's jaw towards her neck "Do you think…You can manage that?"

Charlie gasped softly as Joey nipped playfully at her neck "I have no idea...We have to be q…."

"Quick?" Joey finished with a grin as she flicked the button on Charlie's jeans open with one easy movement "I think I can manage that"

"You're so bad" Charlie couldn't help but laugh at the mischievous look in Joey's eyes despite the lusty fog that surrounded her brain "It seems like you've done this before"

"Most definitely not" Joey smirked as she slipped her hand down "What do you take me for Senior Constable?"

Charlie bit back a moan as Joey's hand came into contact with her core "Fuck" she grasped the front of Joey's shirt in her hand and pulled her back into a heated kiss unfortunately jolting herself back against the door at the same time. Through the fog in her brain she was vaguely grateful they had locked the door or they would have been on the floor in the aisle by then. When air became an issue they had to break away breathlessly. Charlie gasped loudly her head hitting the door with a soft thud as she flung it back "God Jo, I think I'm going to…"

Sensing Charlie was right on the edge Joey kissed her soundly smothering the loud moan that escaped the older girl with her mouth. A moment later Charlie clutched Joey harder her eyes squeezing shut as pleasure washed over her body. They both stiffened however when a knock sounded at the door.

"excuse me Miss?" The stewardesses voice sounded suspiciously "Are you okay in there?"

Charlie and Joey looked at each other on surprise before Joey broke into soft giggles.

"Shh!" Charlie whispered as she clamped a hand over Joey's mouth. She raised her voice slightly and called back to the stewardess "W-We're fine! I'm just air-sick"

"Oh…Okay" the woman called back though she sounded doubtful.

"That was close" Charlie whispered as she removed her hand from a still laughing Joey's mouth. They readjusted their clothing to stop anyone from getting suspicious before they stepped out of the bathroom and began the long walk down the aisle….

_**-Para-**_

Ruby looked up when Charlie and Joey got back only to see that they were blushing brightly "Please don't tell me you got caught…"

"Um…Sort of" Charlie said as she glanced between Joey and Ruby "I told them I was sea sick…"

Ruby shook her head in disbelief "You're a cop…Aren't you supposed to obey by the rules? Control your obviously raging hormones?"

Charlie and Joey glanced at each other before breaking into laughter.

"Insane" Ruby muttered to herself as she relaxed back into her seat.

TBC


	85. Chapter 85

**Hey guys, I'm really really sorry about the lack of updates lately but I've been stuck in kind of creativity rut lately (Which is why this chapter may not be very good but hopefully it'll work to snap me out of it). Thanks so much for all of your reviews, I really appreciate them all and they really keep this fic going :) **

**Movie249: Thanks for pointing that out lol. I'll definitely keep it in mind if I get any more negative reviews :) **

Chapter 85

"So…This is it" Ruby said thoughtfully as she stopped outside the airport entrance and glanced around "We're here."

"And it's not raining" Charlie observed slowly "Apparently Summer was exaggerating about the weather here"

Joey shrugged "It's not too bad usually. It can be horrific sometimes though"

"Maybe it's because it's the middle of summer" Charlie pointed out as she stretched slightly to relieve her stiff muscles.

"It still rains in Summer" Joey chuckled lightly "Especially here"

"Can we stop saying that word?" Ruby scowled at them as she leaned against the brick wall behind her.

Joey rolled her eyes at Ruby's unpredictable mood changes "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Ruby answered with a sigh "I'm sorry. I'm just tired"

"So now what?" Charlie asked though she had turned her gaze suspiciously to her daughter who avoiding the look.

"Now we go and find Cameron!" Joey exclaimed with an optimistic grin.

"You know where she lives?" Charlie questioned, her brow slightly furrowed in confusion "I thought you said we would have to find them first"

Joey shrugged "I know where they used to live so I'm hoping that's where they are now. I don't think they would have moved since the house was left to them by their parents"

"But I thought their parents took off when they were younger?"

"They did" Joey chuckled at Charlie's completely befuddled expression "Summer and Cameron's relationship with their parents is kind of complicated."

"Right" Charlie muttered thoughtfully "This is kind of confusing"

"Yep" Joey agreed as she entwined her fingers lightly with her wife's "Cam and Summer don't like to talk about it too much though, not even to each other" she cast a quick look behind her surprised to see Ruby was still leaning on the wall though she was listening to them with interest "Let's go than…"

"Go where?" Ruby asked sceptically as she fell into step with Joey and Charlie "What are we going to do? Just show up on their doorstep with no warning at all?"

"That's the idea" Joey nodded obliviously.

"How do you even know where they live?" Ruby remarked as she glanced up and down the stretch of road in front of them.

"I've been to England a couple of times" Joey answered casually "It's a long story Rubz"

"Well how are we going to get there?" Charlie spoke up "We don't have a car and I don't feel like walking with these bags" she motioned with her free hand to the bags which were now by their feet.

"Easy!" Joey said brightly "Taxi" she turned when she heard Ruby release a disgruntled sigh behind her "Come on Rubz, Brighten up! It'll be fun…You'll see Summer again?"

"Yeah and probably face rejection _again_" Ruby muttered much to Charlie's confusion.

"Come on Ruby…!" Joey stated pleadingly "it's going to be fine…Won't it Charlie?"

"Hmm? Oh…Yeah" Charlie nodded vaguely "Just try to relax, Rubz? For us?"

"Fine" Ruby sighed though her posture relaxed significantly and a small smile tugged at her lips "I still haven't forgiven either of you for the stunt you decided to pull on the plane though"

"We already said we're sorry" Charlie said attempting to look remorseful. As soon as she looked to her left and met Joey's eyes however they burst into giggles.

"God, you're like teenagers" Ruby rolled her eyes at them as they tried unsuccessfully to stop laughing.

-Para-

"I'll get it" Cameron called dryly up the stairs as she tromped through the house and towards the front door. As soon as she opened it however she froze in shock at the site that met her eyes "J…Joey? Charlie? What are you doing here?"

"Y'know…" Charlie shrugged with a grin "Just thought we would swing by and see how you're doing and all"

"Oh" Cameron chuckled at the statement despite her shock at seeing them and quickly pulled them both into a tight hug. She pulled back after a moment slightly confused "Where's Ruby?"

"Um…" both Joey and Charlie turned around to see Ruby walking up behind them unsurely.

"Oh" Cameron shook her head when she realised she hadn't stepped away from the door "Come in" she stepped back quickly and the other three girls stepped inside after her "So…What brings you to England? Not that it's not great to see you and all"

"Uh…It's kind of complicated" Joey answered as she nodded inconspicuously towards Ruby.

"Oh" Cameron seemed to understand the gesture and she too looked towards Ruby "Are you okay Rubz? You look kind of…Different?"

Ruby shrugged and smiled weakly "I guess it's been a while"

"Hmnn…" Cameron nodded though she still didn't look convinced "Oh, Summer's upstairs. First door on the left. I would shout to her but she would probably just ignore me"

"Um…" Ruby glanced unsurely at Joey who offered a nod and a smile of support "Okay" she hesitated for a moment longer before she shoved her hands into her pockets and walked towards the stairs.

"What was that about?" Cameron asked in confusion, her gaze flitting between the stairs and Joey who suddenly looked uncomfortable under the stares of both Cameron and Charlie.

"They have some kind of secret" Charlie informed her, not sounding at all happy with the idea "They won't tell me what it is"

Joey shifted awkwardly from foot to foot refusing to meet their gazes "It's not my secret to tell"

"Riiiight" Cameron drawled before she turned and led them into the living room "So what's wrong? I mean…I'm assuming there's something wrong since you're here right now"

"Nothing's wrong, really" Charlie said as she sat tiredly on the couch next to Joey "It's just that…Joey's brother got out of jail so we decided it would be best of we got out of town for a while just in case something happened"

"Oh" Cameron nodded grimly as she recalled her own run ins with Brett.

"Plus" Charlie continued "We decided seeing Summer would be good for Ruby considering her state right now"

"Her state?" Cameron echoed in concern "What do you mean? Is something wrong with her? I mean I can tell that _something_ about her is different…"

"She kind of went off the rails when Summer left" Charlie confided softly "She refused to come out of her room at first, then she started drinking, smoking, hooking up with older guys…"

"Wow" Cameron murmured as she leaned back in her chair "And I thought Summer was bad..."

Suddenly noticing that Joey hadn't spoken for a while both Charlie and Cameron glanced at the girl in question only to see her sitting silently, her guilty gaze fixed on the ground.

"It's the secret thing" Charlie explained as she noticed Cameron's confused look "Whatever the big secret is it's linked to what's wrong with Ruby and…apparently Summer now" despite her frustration at not knowing what was going on she leaned to her right and nudged Joey gently.

"Oh…" Cameron nodded slowly in understanding "Well you guys are staying here, right?"

"We don't want to intrude or anything" Joey spoke up.

"Shut up Jo" Cameron laughed at her friend's statement "You're staying and that's final"

~x~

Ruby swallowed apprehensively and wiped her clammy hands on her jeans as she neared the ajar door in front of her. She stopped when she reached it, her breath catching in her throat when her eyes fell on a familiar form lying on the bed. She hesitated for a moment before she lifted her hand and knocked faintly on the door.

"I told you already Cam" Summer said for what was obviously the fiftieth time "I don't want to talk about it and I don't want to go out so just leave me alone…Please!"

"Sum?" Ruby whispered unsurely.

Summer started slightly at the sound of the familiar voice and sprung into a sitting position on the bed "Ruby…" she blinked rapidly as if she thought she was seeing things "Are you really…"

"Yeah" Ruby nodded faintly as she took another step into the room. As if motivated by the movement Summer jumped up from the bed and rushed across the room, throwing her arms around the other girl in a tight hug that almost lifted her off her feet "Oh My God…Ruby, I missed you so much"

"I…" despite her confusion at the situation Ruby returned the hug just as tightly "I missed you too"

"What are you doing here?" Summer finally asked when they finally pulled away from the embrace "Are Charlie and Joey…"

"Downstairs" Ruby murmured in response before they fell into an awkward silence.

"Summer"

"Ruby"

They chuckled uncomfortably when they both spoke up at the same time and Summer motioned for Ruby to continue.

"Why…Why didn't call me?" Ruby asked vulnerably "Did I do something that freaked you out or…"

"No!" Summer shook her head quickly "You didn't do anything. I lost my phone" she motioned towards where her blackberry lying on her bed. Ruby vaguely remembered that Summer had a Tocco Ultra before she left Summer Bay. "Which isn't really an excuse since I already know your number by heart…I'm sorry. I was just…I was really freaked out by how much I missed you and I thought that if I didn't talk to you and tried not to think about you, I would feel better"

"Did it work?" Ruby questioned hoarsely as she plopped down unceremoniously onto Summer's bed "Did you feel any better?"

"No" Summer responded softly "Nothing worked. I'm sorry Rubz…I know I really screwed up by doing what I did. You know what I'm like. I'm a walking disaster when it comes to relationships; It's practically Naomi Campbell worthy…"

"The model?" Ruby interrupted in confusion.

"No…Sorry" Summer apologised again "Obscure British pop culture reference. I didn't mean to mess everything up I was just so confused and I didn't know what to do so I just did what I usually do and decided that if I ignored it, it would eventually go away but it didn't and it just made everything so much worse and…"

"I missed your rambling" Ruby murmured softly.

"You have to believe me" Summer said pleadingly as she reached out and grabbed both of Ruby's hands in her own "Have I screwed everything up for us? Do you hate me?"

"No" Ruby shook her head honestly "I never hated you. I was just upset…To put it lightly"

"Oh" Summer released a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly "You look kind of different"

"Cameron said the same thing" Ruby chuckled lightly and pulled one of her hands away to rake it through her hair "Maybe it was because I went a bit crazy"

"Crazy?" Summer asked expectantly.

"Yeah…I was kind of a mess when you left and didn't call or anything" Ruby admitted, her cheeks turning slightly pink "I got drunk a couple of times, made out with some guy I didn't really…" she trailed off as she recognised the flash of hurt in Summer's eyes "Um…Like"

"Oh" Summer said as she dropped Ruby's hand "Right. So you didn't answer my question…Why did you come all the way to England? Is something going on?"

"I don't know" Ruby answered still in the process of mentally kicking herself for her previous remark "Charlie and Joey just said we needed a vacation"

"So you're not leaving right away?" the older girl asked hopefully "I mean…You're staying for a while?"

"I think so" Ruby nodded with a small smile before she flopped back onto the bed "I'm really tired right now…"

"So sleep" Summer advised softly "I'm sure you're probably staying here anyway. I mean Cam will sort that out with Charlie and Joey"

Ruby chuckled without opening her eyes "Speaking of Charlie and Joey…You'll never guess what they did on the plane"

"Yeah…I think I can" Summer smirked as she lay on her front on the bed next to Ruby "but I guess you should tell me anyway just in case I'm wrong"

"You're not wrong" Ruby smiled, feeling more content than she had in the last couple of months as she burst into telling the story enthusiastically.

~x~

"Do you think this was a good idea?" Charlie questioned as she snuggled close to Joey on the back step in an attempt to ward off the slight chill of the air "coming here to get away from Brett?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded honestly and dropped a kiss on Charlie's head "I think it was a good idea for all of us to get away from Summer Bay for a while"

"You're probably right" Charlie whispered, barely managing to suppress a yawn.

"Tired?" Joey mumbled sounding slightly drained herself.

"Uh-huh" Charlie nodded against Joey's shoulder "Must be jetlag"

"Me too" Joey whispered "Maybe we should head to bed?"

"Mmmhm…" Charlie nodded slowly and stood up pulling Joey gently with her "Joey?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you" Charlie said sincerely "I just…Wanted to tell you that"

"I love you too" Joey beamed before she pulled Charlie close and kissed her firmly. They pulled away after a moment and walked into the house, their hands lightly entwined.

TBC


End file.
